Soul Surfer
by AndreeaRaducan
Summary: During an all-expenses paid vacation to Hawaii, something happens that changes JJ's life forever. How will she cope? And how will the others deal with it? T for language.
1. Hello, Hawaii!

**A/N: So, I wanted to put more detail into Soul Surfer, and wanted to make it less jumpy and all over the place. I also wanted to fix up some things that people pointed out and change some details. So, I'm replacing each chapter, one by one, with a better version. I hope you enjoy the re-write (even though you already know the storyline).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Emily leant across Spencer to watch as the plane came into land in Honolulu International Airport. The sky was clear, the trees were bright green, and the water was like crystal, with waves that would act as surfer magnets.

"Anyone know how to surf?" Morgan asked as soon as the thought had crossed Emily's mind, making her smile.

"Never been on a surfboard in my life...but I'm willing to try," she said, meaning it.

"I can teach you the basics. Once you know what you have to do, it's not that hard," Morgan reassured her, before turning to the others.

"Anyone else?"

"I've surfed a few times," JJ piped up.

"A few, as in?..." Morgan questioned.

"Three or four times. You know, summer vacation in Santa Barbara, all that sort of stuff. But you're not allowed to laugh if I stack," JJ ordered. Will and Emily laughed, while Morgan just shook his head, grinning.

"Reid?"

"Not happening," was Spencer's blatant reply. Everyone cracked up laughing. The thought of Spencer on a surfboard was, well, amusing to say the least.

Hotch and Rossi sat in the row behind, watching their younger colleagues and families interacting.

"Hey Aaron. You going to surf?" Rossi chided. Hotch raised his eyebrows.

"I don't want to put my back out," he joked, with a serious tone. Rossi laughed, shaking his head at the younger man. Hotch glanced over at Henry, who was bouncing around excitedly in his seat as the plane taxied to the terminal. He wished he had brought Jack, but Jessica had taken Jack on a three week vacation through various islands off of the east coast, including St Maartens, and the Bahamas.

xxx

Henry bolted ahead of his parents into the hotel room, running to the window and pressing his face against the glass. The view was straight out to the ocean, where waves were crashing down onto the shore, the sun heating up the sand. JJ heaved her bag onto her bed, and walked over to the window, kneeling down beside her gorgeous two year old.

"Swim!" Henry exclaimed excitedly.

"You want to go swimming?" JJ asked, pretending to be surprised. Henry giggled, nodding.

"Well, how about we find your bathing suit, and then we can go?" JJ suggested. A handful of clothing hit her in the back of the head, making Henry laugh harder than he already was. JJ turned to find her bathers, and Henry's, lying on the floor.

"How did you-?"

"Someone with a brain packed them at the top," Will teased, pointing to himself. JJ chuckled, shaking her head as she picked up Henry and put him on the bed to help him into his swimsuit.

xxx

JJ was trying to hold Henry still, while at the same time, attempting to cover him with sunscreen. Will was sat behind her, rubbing sunscreen soothingly across her shoulders and back.

"I swim Mommy! Water! I swim!" Henry was yelling, making anyone who walked past smile or laugh. JJ wrestled his floaties onto his arms as Will stood up. As soon as she let go of Henry's hand, he was gone, with Will chasing after him.

"He's adorable," Garcia sighed.

"Adorable but hilarious," JJ laughed as she watched Henry trying to evade Will's capture. Morgan, Rossi, and Hotch suddenly appeared, carrying a surfboard each.

"Emily, JJ, you ready to go?" Morgan asked. JJ nodded, standing up and taking the board from Hotch, while Emily took the one from Rossi. Slightly nervous (about wiping out), but excited, they followed Morgan into the water.

xxx

Hotch, Rossi, Garcia, and Reid watched from the top of the beach as JJ dropped smoothly into a medium sized wave. Will was standing in the water, Henry in his arms, pointing out JJ to the little boy.

Morgan watched as JJ pulled a snap off of the top of the wave, obviously having much more skill than she gave herself credit for. Emily was clearly impressed, watching in awe as JJ went back to the top of the wave, before jumping off the board into the water.

xxx

After a few more good waves, and lots of duds, the three headed back into the beach, stabbing their boards into the sand, and collapsing onto their towels.

"You guys were great!" Garcia gushed.

"For a first timer?" Emily asked, her voice dripping with doubt.

"Emily, shush, you were amazing," Garcia replied nonchalantly.

"JJ, you surf as well as you handle the media...which is pretty good," Hotch complimented. JJ smiled, laying back on her towel and closing her eyes. Shortly afterwards, she was aware of droplets of water hitting her face. Opening her eyes, she found Will standing above her.

"You were great, cher," he drawled. JJ blushed slightly, smiling.

"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" Henry screeched as he came running back to JJ. JJ sat up, preparing herself for Henry to throw his arms around her.

"Hey sweetie," JJ said softly, pulling her wet, soggy, and sandy little boy into her lap.

"You surf!" Henry exclaimed.

"I did. Was I good?" JJ asked.

"You good, Mommy," Henry said sweetly, hugging JJ tightly.

xxx

Emily tossed and turned a bit before kicking the covers all the way to end of the bed. It was just too warm in that room.

JJ had just the sheet pulled up to her waist, and was slightly curled up. She had barely moved from the position she'd fallen asleep in, spooning with Will, who still had his arm around her.

Hotch was sprawled across the bed, trying to keep as cool as he could.

Spencer sat awake, with the bedside lamp on, flipping through one of the books he'd brought with him.

Rossi was doing exactly the same as Hotch, sprawled across the mattress to retain as little body heat as possible.

Morgan ended up getting up in the middle of the night and taking a cold shower, because his room was that warm, even after turning up the air conditioner.

**A/N: So there we go, a better re-write for you! Off to re-write Chapter 2. Are you excited/nervous/thrilled/scared for what I'm going to put in Chapter 2?**

**Please review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	2. Crimson Waves

**A/N: Ok, so I know this one resembles the attack in **_**Soul Surfer**_** a hell of a lot more, but I've seen that movie 10 times in the last week, it's stuck in my head, and I'm trying to be more detailed. No copying (if there is any) intended.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

"I know a place. Where the grass is really greener. Warm, wet and wild, there must be something in the water!" JJ and Emily sang together, laughing as they did. They were sitting in the backseat of the truck the group had hired, next to Morgan. Morgan was repeatedly hitting his head on the window, hoping that Hotch would just _arrive_ at the beach so he could escape the singing and consistent giggling. Will, Garcia, and Spencer were lucky. They had opted to stay at the hotel with Henry.

"Sippin, gin and juice. Laying underneath the palm trees. The boys, break their necks. Trying to creep a little sneak peek," they continued. Hotch finally came to a halt under some thick trees at the side of the road.

"We're here," he called. Everyone (Hotch, Rossi, JJ, Emily, and Morgan) piled out of the truck, grabbing towels, boards, and bags. They made the short five minute trek down the steep bushy path to the beach.

"Let's get in the damn water already!" Morgan yelled, running down to the water, with the two girls behind him.

xxx

Morgan flew off the top of the wave, falling off of his board (much to JJ's amusement), and hitting the water with a splash.

"Fail!" JJ and Emily yelled simultaneously. Morgan splashed a handful of freezing water at them, making them shriek and laugh as they paddled away to a safer distance. Morgan went back to surfing the waves, while Emily and JJ relaxed in the middle of the ocean.

"It's so beautiful out here," JJ said softly, looking towards the horizon. Emily swung around to face her, bobbing on the surface about 20 feet from JJ.

"I know. It's lucky that there's no-one else out here, or we'd have to fight for our piece of paradise," Emily joked. JJ lay on her board, her left arm dangling into the water.

"Don't go to sleep there, JJ," Emily teased.

"I'll try not to," JJ laughed. Emily started to paddle towards her, when all of a sudden, a huge mottled grey thing reared up out of the water, clamping down on JJ's left shoulder and pulling away, almost tipping her over. JJ yelled out in shock at the same time that Emily screamed.

"Oh my god! Morgan!" Emily screamed. Morgan turned, hearing Emily's screams.

"Emily?" he called out.

"SHARK!" Emily screamed, capturing Morgan's attention. Morgan paddled as fast as he could from where the waves were to his friends. As he got closer, his stomach rolled. The water was red with blood. Looking up, he discovered where it was coming from.

"I need to get to the beach," JJ called out, kicking with her legs and paddling with her right arm.

"Go! Get to the reef!" Morgan yelled as he came up behind them. Paddling strongly with one arm, he pushed JJ's board with the other, noticing as blood flowed into the sea, turning the dark blue water into a bright crimson. There was a massive chunk of JJ's board missing, right under her left shoulder. Morgan could guess that the shark that had attacked her would easily have been 16 feet long. In front of him and JJ, Emily was half crying, calling out incoherently as she paddled quickly in the general direction of the reef.

A wave came underneath them as they got to the edge of the reef, bringing them up over the coral, and dumping them right in the middle of the reef.

"Emily, go back to the beach and get Hotch to call 911!" Morgan said urgently. Emily nodded, tears streaming down her face as she slid off the reef, onto the sandbar that led back to the beach.

"JJ, you're gonna be ok, just stay with me, alright?" Morgan said desperately as he pulled his rash shirt off. Finding the ends of the sleeves, he wrapped it tightly around the gushing wound that had once been JJ's left arm. JJ had her right arm across the nose of the board, underneath her chin, half holding herself up.

Morgan grabbed the end of her board, and carefully dragged her back off the reef. Emily was almost at the beach, about 100 meters in front of them. Holding his board under his arm, Morgan had a tight grip on the nose of JJ's board, pulling her back to the beach. They were about halfway there when he realised JJ was pleading softly.

"Please, God, please...just get me to the beach," she was pleading.

"JJ, stay with me, ok? We're almost there," Morgan called out, trying to keep his voice from wavering.

Hotch and Rossi turned their heads as Emily sprinted up the beach, dropping her board near the water's edge. Running up to them, she grabbed Hotch's wrist.

"You have to call 911!" she sobbed hysterically.

"Emily, what happened? What's going on?" Hotch asked gently.

"Just call 911!" Emily sobbed, forgetting that they had no idea what had just happened. Rossi grabbed Emily's shoulder, steadying her, and looking her straight in the eye.

"Emily. What's happened?" he asked calmly.

"JJ...attacked... by a shark," Emily stammered, collapsing to her knees. Hotch sprinted back to where he'd left the bag, and dug around for his phone. Muttering under his breath, he finally found it, and punched in the number. Rossi looked up from Emily just as Morgan pulled JJ onto the sand. Grabbing their towels, he sprinted to where Morgan was leaning over JJ. It seemed as though JJ had passed out from blood loss.

"Oh my god!" he exclaimed, dropping the towels. Morgan ripped the ankle leash off of his board, and tied it, even tighter than the rash shirt, around JJ's shoulder, at the same time that she came to.

"Rossi, help me move her to my board!" Morgan exclaimed. Quickly but gently, they rolled JJ onto her back on Morgan's board. It wasn't the blood, or the fact that her arm was gone that freaked Rossi out the most. It was how pale her face was, and how calm she was. Rossi brushed her hair off her face, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"You're going to be ok, JJ. We're not going to let you go," he said reassuringly. JJ looked up at him, her eyes filled with fear.

"I called 911, and I've called Reid, because I couldn't get through to Will," Hotch rattled off as he and Emily rejoined the other three.

"We can't wait for the ambulance, Hotch, she's already lost too much blood," Morgan pointed out.

"Grab the end of the board," Rossi instructed suddenly. Morgan did as he was told, and with Hotch's help, they lifted JJ, on the surfboard, off the ground. Once he was sure that they had a good grip on the board, Hotch helped Emily gather up the boards and the bag, and then followed the makeshift stretcher back up the trail to the truck.

xxx

"Careful, careful, watch your step!" Morgan called out as they reached the top and started to go slightly downhill towards the road. JJ's face had gone from pale to ashen in the short time it had taken to go back up the path.

"Hotch, lower the back of the truck!" Morgan called ahead. Hotch grabbed the back of the truck and pulled it down, then helped Morgan and Rossi slide the surfboard, with JJ on top, into the back. Emily and Hotch climbed into the back, while Rossi and Morgan got into the passenger and driver seats respectively.

Hotch kept his hands clamped down hard over the already soaked rash guard on JJ's arm, while Emily was gently stroking JJ's hair back from her face.

"You're going to be ok, JJ," she said gently, tears slipping out again and running down her cheeks. JJ remained silent.

"Please say something, JJ. You're scaring me," Emily pleaded. Both Emily and Hotch knew she was in shock, and that it wouldn't be long before she lost too much blood to stay awake. It was only a matter of time before this proved to be fatal.

**A/N: I'm happy with this, but concerned that it may be too much like **_**Soul Surfer**_**. Even if it is, I'm altering the hospital part, so that'll be different.**

**Please read and review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	3. Compassion

**A/N: Some extra bits are being included in this chapter.**

**Susannah2000: The beach that JJ was attacked at is a small beach that is quite closed off from the road, and it's quite a way out of town. It's kind of like the beach that Bethany Hamilton was attacked at in 2003. There are apparently lots of those kinds of beaches around Hawaii. BTW, if you search 'shark' in the search function, and narrow it down to Criminal Minds, there's a shark attack story about Morgan. I just write with JJ as my main character because she's my favourite, and the easiest for me to write with.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.**

Spencer couldn't wait for the elevator. Abandoning that thought, he took the stairs two at a time until he reached the fourth floor. Sprinting down the hallway, he found Will and JJ's room, and hammered on the door.

"Will!" he called out. After what felt like an eternity, Will pulled the door open.

"Spencer. What's goin' on?" he asked, confused.

"Hotch just called. We need to go to the hospital. JJ's been attacked by a shark," Spencer replied, quickly and calmly, but seriously. Will paled, looking like he was about to be sick.

"You're jokin'!" he exclaimed, grabbing his phone, and running after Spencer.

"I wish I was!" Spencer called over his shoulder.

xxx

The road back towards the town was eerily quiet, other than Emily and Hotch's voices in the back.

"She's losing consciousness!" Hotch yelled.

"Keep her awake, Hotch, the ambulance has to be close!" Morgan yelled back. Rossi desperately scanned the road in front of them, wishing the ambulance would just appear.

"There's a lot of blood, Morgan!" Emily called out tearfully.

In the back, Emily was still comforting JJ, and Hotch was trying to keep her awake. When he pressed his fingers to her wrist to check her pulse, JJ slipped her hand into his. While she was calmer than expected, she was obviously frightened. Hotch squeezed her hand, letting her know that he wasn't going anywhere.

"We're nearly there, JJ, you're going to be ok," he said gently, a rare show of emotion wavering through his voice.

"I hear them!" Morgan yelled. A few seconds later, the ambulance came around the corner. Emily and Rossi both waved their arms around as much as possible to get the ambulance to stop.

Morgan got out and pulled the tray down as the paramedics got the gurney out of the back of the ambulance.

"Who are you guys?"

"We're her colleagues"

"Ok, did she hit her head, or lose consciousness?"

"She's barely conscious now, but she passed out earlier, and she's lost a lot of blood," Morgan replied. The paramedics lifted JJ easily from the surfboard to the gurney.

"I'll go with her, you guys follow in the truck," Hotch told Morgan. Rossi led Emily back to the truck, as she was beside herself by now. Morgan jumped back into the driver's seat, and pulled back into the road behind the ambulance.

"JJ, just keep looking at my eyes ok? Don't look away. You're going to be fine, the hospital's not far away," the paramedic said gently as he took a pressure reading from JJ's right arm. JJ still had a tight grip on Hotch's hand.

"Where's my boyfriend?" JJ asked, her voice weak and tired. Her eyes were half closed by now.

"He's going to meet us at the hospital," the paramedic replied warmly. One of the monitors she was hooked to started to beep rapidly.

"She's going into hypovolemic shock!" the paramedic called out to the driver, who sped up as much as he could. The paramedic grabbed an oxygen mask, and pulled it over JJ's mouth and nose.

"Breathe deep," he said softly.

xxx

"Why will neither of you tell me what's going on?" Garcia said, looking between the two men in the front of the car. Henry was sat in her lap, Garcia's arm tightly around the little boy.

"Because you'll freak out," Spencer replied, his hands tight on the steering wheel. Will suddenly looked over his shoulder.

"They're comin' up behind us," he said. Spencer looked to the left as the ambulance and the truck went flying past, sirens and lights blaring.

"Oh my god. Who? What happened?" Garcia shrieked. When neither of them replied, she realised she wasn't going to get any answers.

Spencer pulled into the emergency room car park just as the ambulance came to a halt. Before the car had even stopped, Will had flung the door open and sprinted over to where JJ was being pulled out of the ambulance.

"Traumatic amputation, severe loss of blood, blood volume is at around 30 percent! Blood pressure's dropping, she's in hypovolemic shock!" the paramedics relayed to the doctors.

"JJ! JJ, baby, I'm right here, ok, you're goin' to be fine! I'm right here!" Will exclaimed as he ran to the side of the gurney, nodding to Hotch who had let go of JJ's hand as he climbed out of the ambulance. Garcia looked up as they turned the gurney around to go through the door...catching a full glimpse of JJ's arm, or lack thereof.

"Oh my god!" she screamed. Spencer took Henry from her arms, making sure the little boy couldn't see. Morgan came over, and without a word, wrapped Garcia in his arms

xxx

"Stay with us, JJ!" the paramedic called as they ran down the hallways of the emergency room, in the direction of the emergency operating theatre.

JJ was beginning to drift off. Everything she heard was becoming slurred, and quiet. Her vision was blurring. She felt cold.

"Sir, you'll have to wait outside," one of the nurses told Will as they reached the theatre. He watched through the window pane on the door as they lifted JJ off of the gurney and onto the operating table. Her eyes were closed, and her face was extremely pale. The rash shirt was soaked through with blood.

Will felt like crying. Feeling slightly numb, he watched as the surgeon lifted the defibrillation paddles, and shocked JJ.

xxx

JJ was surfing down the inside of the barrel of an amazing wave. She had both of her arms. Ahead of her, the wave was opening up into a bright white light. The droplets of water on her face mingled with tears. She glided down the curve of the wave, heading for the white light. As she reached it, someone was calling out her name. Glancing to the right, she swiftly turned, and headed for the sound of the person's voice, away from the light.

xxx

JJ forced her eyes open. She was lying in a comfortable bed, in what was obviously the hospital. A doctor was leaning over her, kindness in his eyes. She felt extremely tired, and really thirsty. But something had changed. Instead of the cold, soggy rash guard, her arm was now wrapped in warm bandages. That meant her surgery was over.

"Ok, Jennifer, close your eyes and go to sleep," the doctor said kindly. JJ gratefully did so, giving in to how tired she was.

xxx

Morgan and Garcia sat off to one side by themselves in the waiting room, as Garcia was still beside herself.

"What happened?" Will asked in disbelief. Emily took a deep breath, willing herself not to cry _again_.

"JJ and I were just lying on our boards, out in the middle of the water. Morgan was surfing about 50 yards away. I looked over at JJ just as the shark came up out of the water. It all happened so fast," she explained. Will dropped his head into his hands, letting out a barely audible moan.

"Jennifer Jareau?" someone called. Everyone's head turned. The doctor pulled a chair over to the middle of the group, and sat down where they could all see him.

"First things first. She's going to be ok. She lost a _lot_ of blood, but we have her on a transfusion, and we've stemmed the bleeding. I've left the wound open, because it's a tiger shark bite, and their mouths tend to be pretty disgusting. So we cleaned it out, and left it open to lower the risk of infection. If there's no infection in a few days, Jennifer will go back into surgery to close the wound. She's asleep at the moment, but I can let you go and sit with her for the time being," the doctor said. Will stood up, and shook the doctor's hand.

"Thank you," he drawled. The doctor smiled, and led Will, Hotch, Morgan, and Emily down the hall to JJ's room. Henry was walking alongside Will, his hand in his fathers. Rossi, Spencer, and Garcia remained in the waiting room.

Before they entered the room, Will swung Henry up onto his hip, and stopped outside the door.

"Henry...I don't want you to be scared when we go in, ok?"

"Why, Daddy?"

"Well, Mommy had an accident today-"

"Oh no! She ok?"

"Her arm is gone, buddy"

"No arm?"

"That's right"

"Oh no"

Will pushed the door open, leading the other three into the room. He put Henry down on a chair near the window, before walking over and sitting beside JJ's bed. Emily, Hotch, and Morgan, each took a seat near Henry, not able to tear their eyes from JJ. Her face was pale and troubled. The remainder of her left arm was wrapped firmly in multiple bandages. It made Morgan want to cry.

xxx

JJ stirred, going unnoticed by everyone in the room. Praying that her memories of being in the recovery room were just dreams, she hesitantly slid her right arm across her torso. Her fingers grazed against the bed sheets where her arm should have been. Fighting back tears, she moved her hand further up, brushing against the thick bandaging on the remainder of her arm. Tears slipped out and ran down her cheeks as Will pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Thank god you're alive," he murmured as he sat back down, taking her right hand in his and gently stroking the top of her fingers.

"It hurts," JJ said softly.

"I'll go get the doctor," Morgan said, getting up and leaving the room. JJ took a deep breath, squeezing Will's hand.

"I'm a little thirsty," she said quietly. Emily smiled weakly.

"I got it," she replied, brushing JJ's knee lightly with her hand before heading out of the room to get some water.

Henry climbed down off of the chair by the window, and ran around to his father, climbing into Will's lap. For a moment, he just stared at where JJ's arm used to be. Then, he gently reached out and brushed the tips of his fingers against the bandages.

"Something's missing isn't it, Henry?" JJ asked, her voice wavering. Henry nodded, and then smiled.

"You can have mine, Mommy!" he said sweetly. More tears escaped the confines of JJ's eyes as soon as the words had left his mouth.

"I love you so much, buddy," she sobbed.

"Hey! How's my patient doing?" Dr Jackson said as he entered the room, followed by Morgan and Emily. Morgan walked over to the edge of the bed, while Emily set the water down on the table at the end of JJ's bed.

"I'm ok," JJ said softly as Dr Jackson took a seat beside her bed.

"So I understand you're experiencing some discomfort here?" he said gently, his hand hovering over what was left of her arm.

"...Yeah," JJ breathed, nodding slightly.

"Well, unfortunately, that's normal, considering the amount of trauma that you've endured. And not to mention the fact that you lost over 70 percent of your blood. You're gonna be feeling pretty lousy for the next few days," Dr Jackson explained gently. Will held her hand, listening in closely to what the doctor was saying.

"Now, here's the thing JJ. The list of things that you're going to have to learn to do differently is...extensive. But the things you won't be able to do at all...small"

Dr Jackson stood up, taking her hand gently and squeezing it. "You're going to be fine. I'm proud of you"

With a smile, he turned and left the room. Will kissed JJ's cheek, quickly following Jackson to the door.

"I'll tell you something. She is a living miracle," Jackson said warmly. Will shook his hand for the second time that day.

"Thank you so much," he said, watching as Jackson walked away towards the elevator. Morgan approached the Southerner, sadness in his expression.

"Do you want me to take Henry to get something to eat?" he asked Will.

"If that's ok," Will replied.

"Henry, why don't you go with Derek and get something to eat, ok?" JJ suggested as they re-entered the room, having overheard. Henry shook his head.

"I stay with you," he said defiantly.

"I'll be right here when you get back," JJ promised. Henry thought for a moment.

"Ok," he sighed, allowing Morgan to pick him up.

"Bye bye," Henry called as they left the room. Emily followed quickly. She was unsure of what to say to JJ, and reasoned that she would come and see her later. That left Hotch and Will in the room.

"Hotch," JJ said softly. Hotch stepped forward, leaning on the end of the bed.

"Thank you. You kept me from losing it in the back of the truck and in the ambulance," JJ told him. Hotch waved it off.

"It's alright, JJ. I only did what I thought was the best thing to do," he replied.

"No, really. Thank you," JJ insisted.

"Not a problem. If it's alright, I'm going to go outside and speak to the others," Hotch said. JJ nodded, and watched as he left.

"I love you, Cher. I'm so glad you're alive," Will said gently, squeezing her hand.

"Morgan's the reason I'm still alive. He stayed calm the entire time, from the time I was attacked, until I was put into the ambulance. He kept me calm in the water as well. He stopped me from panicking," JJ explained.

"You owe him big time," Will joked. JJ gave him a small smile.

"He saved my life. Nothing can repay that," she replied, her voice tired and raspy. Her stomach had been churning since she woke up, and it was steadily getting worse.

"You alright?" Will asked gently, not referring to her arm, but to the fact that she had just gotten even paler, if that was even possible. JJ shook her head.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she choked out. Will grabbed the basin that was sitting beside her bed, and put his arm behind her shoulders so she was sitting up more. Rubbing small circles on the back of her shoulders, he held the basin under her chin while she was sick, brushing her hair back out of the way with his free hand. JJ coughed when it finally ceased, her throat even drier than it had been before. Will got up, kissing her forehead as she collapsed back against the bed, and took the basin into the bathroom, dumping it in the sink. Grabbing some tissues, he returned to her bedside, handing them to her so she could wipe her mouth.

"Feel better?" he asked softly. JJ nodded, dropping the tissues into the trash can at the side of the bed. Her eyes were half closed by now.

"I'm so tired," she mumbled. Will took her hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the back.

"Go to sleep. I'm not goin' anywhere," he promised, kissing her hand as she drifted back to sleep.

**A/N: Chapter 3! I'm on a streak. I'm getting really into this.**

**Please read and review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	4. Recovery

**A/N: The reviews thing is being weird. I clicked on it and it said 6. There were four. I went to re-read what I've uploaded. It said 5. I got to Chapter 3, and it said 4. Wth?**

**Susannah: The droid comment made me laugh so hard. I don't feel like a droid with mine (SQ215), as my name is a flight number of a route that I flew on last year with Singapore Airlines (excellent memories from Singapore Airlines. I highly recommend them). I wouldn't know about lifeguards on beaches in Hawaii, because I live in Australia and I've never been to Hawaii. I can ask my friend if you'd like, she went last November.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

JJ slowly opened her eyes, feeling how heavy her eyelids were after a long period of rest. The room was almost dark, the only light coming from a dull bedside lamp. Will was sitting in the chair beside her bed, reading through one of his father's old books.

"What are you doing here?" JJ asked softly. Her voice was weak and raspy. She figured she must've been asleep for ages. Will looked up from the book, a small smile breaking onto his face.

"Hey. How are you feelin'?" he replied, leaning onto the bed rails at the side of the mattress.

"A little better...how long was I asleep?" JJ said. Will thought for a moment.

"Probably about 17 hours. You fell asleep early this morning," he told her.

"Yeah...I couldn't sleep last night," JJ remembered.

"Does it still hurt?" Will asked, gesturing to her stump. JJ shook her head.

"Not so much now"

"I'm still havin' a lil' trouble gettin' my head around all this. I still can't believe it happened"

"Neither can I"

xxx

"_...when the shark bit off Agent Jareau's arm. She only cried out once, and it is said that she remained calm the entire time-"_

JJ changed the channel for the fourth time, getting frustrated with the wide variety of news stations.

"_...the shark was said to be a tiger shark, around 16 feet long-"_

"You're on basically every channel throughout Hawaii," someone said from the door. JJ turned her head, a grin breaking onto her face.

"Hey," she greeted, sitting up as Emily came to sit on the edge of the bed. A moment of silence hung in the air. Emily seemed unable to look away from JJ's stump, so JJ swung her legs over the edge of the bed, so that Emily was sitting on her right.

"It's still me," she said softly. Emily nodded, taking a deep breath.

"I know...I just...can't get that moment out of my head," she admitted.

"Which one? There were lots of moments," JJ joked. Emily laughed, shaking her head, but the grin soon faded.

"When the shark appeared. I swear it came out of nowhere," she told JJ.

"It scared the shit out of me," JJ mumbled.

"I wake up every morning, praying that it was just a nightmare, because...I thought you were going to die out there," Emily admitted, sounding on the verge of tears. JJ reached up and put her arm around Emily, pulling her friend into a hug.

"Emily, it's ok. I'm ok," she whispered reassuringly. Emily pulled away, fighting back tears.

"I know. I'm _so_ glad you're ok," she replied, laughing slightly. JJ grinned.

"So, what have you been up to?" she asked.

"Chasing your son down the hallway of the hotel, avoiding pillow fights in Morgan's room. I got dragged into one the other day, and had the absolute crap beaten out of me," Emily relayed. JJ laughed.

"Trust Morgan and Henry to keep you on your toes," she teased.

"What about you?"

"Sleeping, annoying the nurses by ringing the buzzer and then pretending to be asleep-"

Emily burst out laughing. The image of JJ doing that was entertaining.

"-and enjoying Happy Hour," JJ finished.

"Happy Hour?" Emily asked incredulously.

"That hour after they give me my cocktail of painkillers and antibiotics, I'm so high, I can just about see Neil Armstrong's flag on the moon. Then I come crashing back down to Earth, and turn into a total bitch," JJ explained. Emily cracked up laughing.

"The drugs will do that to you, Jayje"

"Yeah, I just wish someone had warned me before, because the follow up is never fun"

xxx

JJ woke up the morning after the closing surgery to find Henry snuggled into her right side. That meant Will had been in sometime in the last 24 hours. But he was nowhere to be seen.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Will came into the room.

"Good mornin', Sleepin' Beauty," he teased, sitting down beside her bed.

"Where were you?"

"Just talkin' to Dr Jackson. He says if everythin' looks good on Thursday, you can leave on Friday mornin'," Will replied.

"Really?" JJ asked, obviously elated.

"Absolutely"

Henry lifted his head, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"Hi sweetie. Were you tired?" JJ asked, pressing a kiss to the top of his golden head. Henry nodded sleepily, laying back against JJ's chest until he woke up fully.

"He missed you. I was tryin' to get him to go to sleep last night, but he insisted on comin' to see his Mama. I was only goin' to stay a little while, because you were still unconscious from the anaesthetic. But he'd cuddled into your side when we got here, and when he fell asleep, I didn't want to move him. So I stayed the night," Will explained. JJ smiled.

"You missed me, buddy? I missed you too," she said softly to Henry.

"I missed you lots," Henry replied.

"I missed you more," JJ continued. Will grinned, listening to his girlfriend and his son interacting. They were both so competitive.

xxx

JJ leaned back against the seat, watching out the window, as Will drove back to the hotel. Her stump was covered with a large dressing to keep it clean and let it finish healing. Will glanced over at her, watching her closely.

"You ok?" he asked. JJ turned to look at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied softly.

"You know, a lot of people sent flowers," Will told her. JJ raised her eyebrows.

"Really?"

"Yep. Everyone around here knows what happened, sent flowers and get well soon cards"

The rest of the drive was spent in a comfortable silence. However, Will couldn't help but glance at his girlfriend's lack of an arm every now and then. He couldn't believe how close he'd come to losing her.

As they pulled into the hotel parking lot, Morgan, Emily, Hotch, and Henry came down to meet them.

"Mommy!" Henry yelled excitedly, practically throwing himself from Hotch's arms. JJ smiled, putting her arm around him and easily lifting him from Hotch's hold. Once she had a good hold on him, she kissed his forehead.

"Hey buddy. I missed you," she said softly.

"Welcome 'home'," Morgan said, hugging his blonde colleague.

"Home. Yeah right," JJ scoffed, making Emily laugh as she also hugged her friend. Will climbed out of the truck, grabbing JJ's backpack from the backseat. He walked alongside Morgan as they walked into the lobby. Henry was chattering away excitedly to JJ, telling her about his latest adventures with Untle 'Pence and Aunt Garcy . Hotch grinned. That kid had a motormouth, talking at top speed. JJ was just smiling and nodding, because for most of it, Henry was talking so fast she couldn't decipher what he was saying.

xxx

JJ took a deep breath as the doctor peeled away the dressing on her arm, not tearing her eyes from Will's.

"Oh, it's looking fantastic. It's healing really well," Dr Jackson exclaimed, un-sticking the last part from over JJ's stump.

"You ok?" Will asked softly. JJ nodded, continuing to breathe deeply.

"It'll look better when the stitches come out," Dr Jackson stated. A nurse came into the room and beckoned for him to come with her.

"Excuse me," he said politely, leaving Will and JJ by themselves. After a few moments of silence, JJ got off the exam table, and walked over to the mirror beside the door. She turned so she could see her stump clearly in the mirror.

As her eyes raked over the large black stitches, and what little actually remained of her arm, she felt tears welling up inside. Taking a few deep breaths to try and fight them back, she looked at Will. He gently wrapped his arms around her as the tears began to fall.

xxx

"Hi Jessica, it's Aaron"

"Hey, what's going on? If you're calling about Jack, he's been fine. We're having a great time!"

"Where are you now?"

"St Martens! Jack loves the beach behind the airport, the planes come in so low!"

"That's great, really!" Hotch replied, trying to sound excited.

"Aaron, what's wrong?"

"We're making an early return"

"Why? When?"

"We're going back in about six days"

"But you're supposed to be staying for another two weeks! What's happened to make you all want to come home?"

"You know JJ?"

"Jennifer, the pretty one that looks after Jack sometimes?"

"That's her. Well...she went surfing with Derek and Emily the other day, and the trip kind of went...very, very wrong"

"Why, what happened?"

"They were paddling out between the reefs at this small enclosed beach we found. I was on the shore with David. Emily came running back, screaming at me to call 911"

"Oh my god! Had someone, like, drowned or something?"

"No...JJ had been attacked by a shark"

"Holy motherf- holy crap! Is she alright?"

"She's scarily optimistic for someone who's, uh..."

"What'd she lose?..."

"Her left arm"

"Oh my god," Jessica moaned.

"You have no idea how scary it was when we realised what had happened"

"Was she freaked out when it happened?"

"Eerily calm. She wasn't crying, screaming, nothing. She stayed practically silent right up until she woke up after her operation"

"That's amazing..."

"So, yeah, I was just calling to let you know that that's our plans"

"Ok. Give JJ my best wishes, tell her not to push herself too hard"

"Already gave her that lecture"

"What'd she do?"

"Rolled her eyes," Hotch replied. Jessica laughed.

"Sounds right"

"Look, Jess, I have to go. I'll call you again before we leave"

"Ok. I'll tell Jack you called. Bye"

"Bye"

Hotch hung up, looking around the beach. Garcia and Morgan had Henry down by the water's edge, up to their ankles. Reid and Emily were flinging balls of sand at each other. Rossi was asleep on a towel with his hat over his face. Will and JJ were cuddled up together, not far from Rossi. The way JJ was leaning into Will made it look like nothing had happened to her. Will had a protective, yet gentle arm around her shoulders, and was whispering something in her ear. Hotch sighed. The events of that day had banded them closer together, brought them together as a family. And he was sure that JJ felt the same way.

**A/N: I'm much happier with this, focusing a bit more on what went on in the hospital. Hope you like it.**

**Please review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	5. Carefree

**A/N: Sooo, what's been happening?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.**

**Start note: I think the days are gone when I could log on, and see that I had 11 more reviews than I did last time I checked. ):**

JJ reached behind her, one strap of her bather top in her hand, her fingers grasping at the other one. Seeing as they spent most of their time by the pool or at the beach, she always wore her bathers, even if she didn't swim.

Sighing in frustration, JJ tried to grab the second strap again. Finally getting a grip on it, she tried to flip one strap over the other to tie a knot...resulting in one strap slipping from her fingers.

"Oh, for Christs' sake!" she exclaimed, just as Will came up behind her and gently freed her fingers from the bathers, tying them up for her.

"There you go," he said softly. JJ turned around to face him.

"Thanks," she replied just as quietly, putting her arm around his neck as he kissed her softly.

"Don't get frustrated so quickly, ok? Things are gonna take a while to get used to," Will reminded her. JJ suddenly felt a pair of little arms wrapped around her right leg, making her smile.

"Who might that be?" she said teasingly, looking down at a giggling Henry.

"Hi Mommy," he giggled. JJ bent down and easily picked him up, the one thing that she had found easy since leaving the hospital. Henry kissed her cheek sweetly, before resting his head against her shoulder.

xxx

Emily sat beside Morgan, a little way off from the rest of the team. Looking down the beach, she laughed as Rossi threw a handful of sand at Hotch, making the younger man glare at his older colleague. Looking down to the water, she watched JJ, Henry, and Will playing around in the shallow water. JJ hadn't yet worked up the courage to go any deeper than her waist, but they all knew that it would happen eventually.

"You ok, Emily?" Morgan asked, concern playing in his voice.

"Yeah...except that this was supposed to be a nice break from work, something we could enjoy...and it's turned into a nightmare that none of us could _ever_ have imagined," Emily replied, turning her head to look at Morgan.

"Emily...things didn't turn out anywhere near what we imagined, but looking back at the attack, it's amazing that JJ's still alive. And even though this isn't what we wanted, we have to be grateful for the fact that we still have her with us. Look at the positives," Morgan explained softly. Emily nodded, taking a deep breath.

"I'm really, really glad that you were out there with us. Because if JJ and I had gone out there by ourselves, I wouldn't have been able to think clearly enough to remain calm"

"Trust me, after that singing in the truck, you're lucky I was in the water with you. I was planning on avoiding you guys at all costs," Morgan teased. Emily laughed, remembering hers and JJ's horrible renditions of _California Gurls, Rolling In The Deep,_ and _A.I.M Fire_ that morning.

"We're not that bad," she protested.

"You didn't have to sit next to it for half an hour," Morgan replied. Emily, to his surprise, let out a sudden sob, choking back full blown tears. Morgan slowly put his hand over Emily's, giving it a squeeze.

"Emily?"

"We had no idea, sitting in that truck, that in an hour, we'd be sitting in the back with a barely conscious JJ," Emily sobbed, letting the tears fall. Morgan hesitated, before gently putting his arm around her.

"No-one saw it coming, Emily. Trust me"

xxx

"I hate toothpaste tubes, shampoo bottles, water bottles, sneakers, button up shirts, my hair, sunscreen, my phone-"

Will put his hand over JJ's mouth, cutting her rant short.

"Care to explain why?" he asked gently, pulling his hand away.

"I can't squirt shampoo or sunscreen into my ONE hand, I can't tie up my own fucking sneakers, I can't button my own shirt! Tying up your hair ain't rocket science, unless you have one arm! I can't open a water bottle, I can barely flip open toothpaste, and squirt it onto my toothbrush, because I don't have a second hand to hold the toothbrush! I take half an hour to type a two sentence text!" JJ cried out, flopping backwards onto the bed. Spencer, who'd dropped by their hotel room to say hi, was looking quite astounded. Will threw him an apologetic look, before pulling JJ back into a sitting position.

"You'll figure it out eventually-"

"Don't get me started on my bra," JJ cut in.

"I'm leaving," Spencer said simply, pulling the door open and hurrying back to his room. Will raised his eyebrows.

"You just scared off your best friend. You kind of have to-"

"Take a chill pill and calm down? You can shove that pill-"

"Where the sun don't shine, blah, blah, blah, I've heard it all before," Will cut in. JJ got up, walking over to the bathroom and slamming the door shut. Henry sat on the bed, his wide eyes looking between his father and the bathroom.

"Mommy mad?" he asked innocently.

"I really don't know, buddy," Will sighed, sinking to the floor with his back against the bathroom door.

"JJ," he called out. When there was no reply, he called out again.

"JJ"

"Go away"

"I can't go anywhere, babe, we're in a hotel room"

"Then leave"

Will chuckled slightly before turning back to the problem at hand.

"JJ, I know you're strugglin' to deal with all this. You heard what the doc said. It'll take some time, but eventually, you'll figure out exactly what you have to do diff'rently. It's gonna be hard at first, why wouldn't it be?" he said gently. He heard the door unlock, and jumped to his feet. Opening the door, he saw JJ sitting on the edge of the bathtub. Walking over, he sat down beside her, putting a comforting arm around her.

"I know, I've always known that that was the case. I guess I'm just an impatient person," JJ said, a smile forming on her face.

"I told you," Will teased, getting up before JJ could hit him. JJ scoffed, quickly following him out of the bathroom. Surprising her, Will pushed her back, pinning her to the bed, and kissing her deeply.

"Ew!" Henry squealed, covering his eyes. JJ laughed, pushing Will back a little.

"Come here, you little monster," she beckoned, holding her hand out for Henry. Henry jumped off the other bed, landing beside JJ.

"But no kiss me, Mommy," Henry warned. Will started laughing, as did JJ. Pretty soon, all three of them were laughing (or in Henry's case, giggling) uncontrollably.

"I love you guys," JJ managed to say, putting her arm around her boys.

"We love you too, don't we Henry?" Will replied. Henry nodded, snuggling in between Will and JJ, with his head resting against JJ's stump, which made JJ smile. The fact that her son was so carefree, and non-prejudiced just made he even more proud of him than she already was.

**A/N: I just can't portray Henry as someone who finds it weird that JJ's missing an arm. I just can't, he's too adorable this way!**

**Please review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	6. Getting Up and Facing The Beast

**A/N: Hmmmm...**

**Susannah: Ok, just a few things to explain. I can see why you would think that JJ shouldn't be tussling with Will and Henry. But, I read this in Bethany Hamilton's book. The body uses pain as a danger alert system. For small cuts and scratches, we feel pain because sometimes we don't know we've cut ourselves. The pain is to warn us that there is danger. With major injuries, like losing an arm to a shark, you don't feel pain because the body shuts down anything in the area of the injury that could cause pain, which is the nerves. You don't feel the pain because obviously danger has passed, you know what's happened. That pain would be felt slightly in the hospital, but once the wound was closed, it would get less and less. Right up to it not hurting at all by the time the doctor removes the dressing. As for weak from blood loss, JJ was on a transfusion for the first week in hospital, and the second week, she would've been lying around, just building up energy. **

**I know this is long, but this is the last thing I have to say. Bethany Hamilton was bouncing around while she was **_**in**_** the hospital. She would take balloons into the hallway and run around bouncing them off her head. JJ got home from the hospital (where she spent two weeks in bed), and spent the first few days sitting beside Will on the beach while everyone else was mucking around (end of Chapter 4).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.**

"We've cancelled the earlier flights and extended our stay, at your request, and also because Strauss has instructed to take some major time off. Another team's going to take care of our workload," Morgan told JJ, who beamed at him.

"JJ...you told us in the hospital that you just wanted to go home...why the sudden change of mind?" Hotch asked.

"Well...I've been thinking...and I think I want to get back in the water," JJ said slowly. Everyone exchanged glances, obviously surprised.

"Are you sure?" Will drawled.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm no Bethany Hamilton, but I want to give it a go," JJ replied defiantly. Morgan and Emily grinned, high fiving each other.

xxx

Will, Hotch, Garcia, Spencer, and Rossi stood in the shallow water, with Henry on Will's shoulders. They watched as Morgan paddled alongside JJ, who was paddling determinedly with her one arm.

"I can pull you out," he offered. JJ shook her head, never tearing her eyes from where the waves were forming.

"I can do it," she said, focus and determination evident in her voice. She was on a long board, which would give her more stability in the water, and mean she could focus less on balance and getting into the wave, and focus more on pushing up with one arm.

JJ turned the board, paddling quickly into the wave. Shifting her arm, she grabbed the right rail and tried to push up. The board slipped out from underneath her, plunging her into the water. Will groaned softly as he watched.

"You ok?" Morgan asked, paddling up alongside JJ as she climbed back onto her board.

"Uh huh. Fine," she replied simply.

Emily caught the wave ahead of JJ. Despite only having been surfing for a short while, she was easily getting the hang of it, and was getting better with every wave.

JJ pushed herself into the wave following Emily, grabbing the rail again. Only this time the outcome was slightly worse. The board flew out to the left as JJ fell backwards into the water. The board jerked upwards before landing on top of the water again. JJ came up, coughing as she brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Put your hand in the middle of the board! Then it won't overbalance!" Morgan yelled out encouragingly from where he was standing with the others, watching.

JJ did what he said. After a few more failed attempts at standing up, she was about ready to get out of the water, when she saw a perfect wave headed in her direction. Turning the board towards the beach, she paddled with determination, eager to get it this time. As the wave came up behind her, she dropped her forearm across the middle of the board, braced her shoulder, and somehow managed to swing her legs underneath her. Before she knew it, she was standing, and everyone on the beach was screaming and cheering.

"YEAH!" Morgan yelled, hugging Emily, who was cheering and jumping up and down with excitement. Even Henry was clapping and yelling at the top of his lungs. JJ, who looked the happiest she had in days, fell off the board backwards, making a 'Go for it' sign with her fingers as she fell into the water.

"Oh my god! She did it!" Emily cried, hugging Morgan again. JJ came running up to them, laughing when she was enveloped in a group hug by her friends.

"That was awesome!" Morgan exclaimed, hugging her tightly. Will lifted Henry down, and then wrapped his arms around her, smiling proudly.

"That felt so good!" JJ told them, laughing. They grabbed the boards, and headed back up to the beach house they had rented (as they hadn't booked the hotel rooms for any longer), chattering excitedly.

xxx

Morgan's phone rang during an overly excited game of cards. He put the phone to his ear, and almost immediately, his grin dropped.

"Will," he said simply. Will looked up, and just by reading Morgan's expression, knew exactly what was going on.

xxx

JJ walked behind Morgan and Will, Emily and Hotch at her sides. Will had clearly protested her tagging along, but she was determined to come with.

Morgan was carrying the board under his arm. It was the first time since the attack that JJ had seen the board. It had a huge bite chunk taken out of the left side, and there was a small amount of blood staining the white inside of the board.

They made their way down to the beach, in the darkness of the night. The group standing on the beach parted to allow them through. It was at that moment that JJ saw, for the first time, the suspected 16 foot monster that had almost killed her. It was hanging by its tail from a large crane, water...and blood...dripping from its open mouth. JJ's stomach rolled as she watched Will kneel down by its jaws, and slip the board in between its teeth. A silence hung in the air before one of the Hawaiian men stepped forward.

"It's a perfect fit, man," he said softly, sadness flooding through his voice. JJ suddenly felt increasingly ill. That _was_ the shark that had taken her arm. Turning around, she sprinted back up to the beach house, her hand clamped tightly over her mouth.

xxx

Emily hurried through the back sliding door, heading straight for the bathroom in search of JJ. The guys were still down on the beach, as Will had been overcome by a wave of emotion, and needed a moment to regain himself before returning to the house. Garcia and Spencer were sitting in the front room with Henry, completely oblivious to what was going on.

Walking quickly down the hallway, Emily stopped outside the bathroom door. She could hear JJ retching violently, and after a minute, stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Without a word, she sank down beside JJ, who had collapsed against the wall, tears streaming down her face.

"I never thought it would be that hard to see...with my own eyes," she choked, turning to look at Emily.

"JJ, you've been on a traumatic, emotional rollercoaster in the past couple of weeks. You were brave to come with us to see it. But you didn't have to be. You showed us all how courageous you were when you were attacked," Emily said reassuringly, putting her arm around JJ's shoulders.

"It's finally sunk in. At first, I just thought it was a horrible nightmare, and that at any minute, I would wake up with two arms. Seeing the...shark...has made it clear, and it's sunk in," JJ explained softly, forcing herself to spit the word _shark_ out. Nausea overcame her again, and she rounded for the toilet, throwing up again. Emily kept a firm, comforting grip on both of JJ's shoulders, waiting for the vomiting to subside.

xxx

JJ dragged herself into the kitchen, finding everyone else already awake, concocting various recipes for breakfast.

"Morning!" Morgan called jovially from the opposite side of the kitchen, a teasing smile on his face. JJ glared at him before sitting on one of the bar stools.

"Someone's in a bad mood," Rossi joked.

"I had a horrible night," JJ moaned, putting her arm on the counter, and dropping her head to her forearm.

"Care to share?" Emily asked as she blended various fruits into a smoothie.

"Nightmares. Nausea. Will's snoring," JJ relayed. Will looked shocked while everyone else cracked up laughing.

"Come on cher, I'm not that bad...am I?" he asked, which only made them laugh harder. JJ shrugged, lifting her face to rest her chin on her arm. She couldn't stop thinking about the most prominent nightmare from the early hours of the morning.

_JJ lay on her board, alone in the ocean. It was the middle of the day, and the sun was beating down on her back. She glanced to her left, and saw a dark shape gliding towards her in the water. Her heart pounding furiously, she tried to paddle away, but upon her first attempt, realised that her left arm was gone. The shark hadn't even gotten to her yet! There was no blood, just a gaping wound. JJ could feel the tears of fear running down her face as she tried to paddle with her right arm. And without warning, the shark's jaws clamped down on her, pulling her under the water, pulling her to her death. She screamed as the salt water filled her lungs, preventing her from even having a chance._

"JJ. JJ. JJ. JJ. JJ," Morgan taunted. JJ snapped out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"Off with the fairies?" he teased. JJ sighed.

"More like with the sharks," she muttered.

"Huh?" Morgan asked, confused.

"Never mind," JJ said quickly, getting off the stool and heading for the fridge. Time to eat before anyone started asking about the nightmares.

**A/N: Really short, with a long AN, but I'm sorry.**

**Please review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	7. Real Beauty

**1A/N: So, in the next few chapters, I may introduce some surprises, and elements that will make the real storyline of CM sort of impossible to go back to...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Emily poured a glass of fruit juice for Henry, trying to ignore the shouting that was erupting from Will and JJ's bedroom every now and then. The others were also trying to block it out. Morgan, Rossi, and Garcia were watching TV, Spencer was reading, and Hotch was on the phone.

"I'm just tryin' to understand how you're feelin', cher," Will said gently. JJ whipped around, tears streaming down her face.

"How I feel? Will, I can't do anything for myself! I can barely dress myself, get something to eat, anything! Half of the time, I'm just wishing for this to be over, for it to end!" she yelled, falling to her knees, hunched over as she cried.

"You know we try to help you," Will replied.

"I don't need help! I need to do things for myself, instead of being treated like a fucking, 5 year old!" JJ exclaimed angrily through her tears. Will was at a loss. He didn't know what to do anymore.

xxx

Rossi set down a plate of pasta in front of everyone. He put the leftover pasta that he hadn't dished up yet into a bowl full of boiling water, to keep it warm and soft. Will and JJ hadn't come out of their bedroom since lunchtime.

"This is really good, Rossi," Emily said as she swallowed a mouthful.

"Thank you. It's one of my mother's recipes," Rossi replied as he sat down. They sat in silence for a few moments, everyone eating as though they hadn't eaten in weeks, before Morgan spoke up.

"Do you think JJ's ok?" he asked softly. Everyone exchanged glances.

"Personally, I think she's a bit of an emotional wreck right now, and that's not her fault. She can't quite control how she feels about all of this, and it's taking a toll," Hotch replied, looking down into his pasta bowl.

"I hope she's alright," Garcia chipped in.

"She just needs some time to think about it really, and then she can start to pull it all together," Rossi told them.

"Can we not talk about JJ? I wouldn't really like to be in the bedroom, and have all you out here talking about me," Emily cut in.

"Pasta!" Henry said excitedly, accidentally flicking a piece of pasta across at Hotch. The pasta landed on his eyebrow, sticking where it was, making everyone laugh.

"Thank you Henry. Thank you, very much," Hotch sighed, plucking the pasta off and tossing it into the bin.

xxx

Will held JJ close to him, absently stroking her hair. Her cheeks were tear stained, and her eyes were red.

"I'm sorry-"

"No, you're not. You have nothin' to be sorry for, cher. You don' have to apologise for what you've been through in the past few weeks," Will cut in firmly.

"I keep lashing out whenever anyone tries to help me, or talk to me. I don't want to be like this, Will!" JJ replied, her voice wavering again.

"Then let us help you. Let us talk to you. Talk to us," Will said gently, pulling her closer to him.

"I feel weak if I do that...," JJ explained, trailing off.

"This...is not a sign of weakness, Jayje. It's strength. Amazin' strength, an' bravery. You are the strongest, most beautiful woman I've ever met. I've always thought that. The recent events have only confirmed my thoughts completely," Will replied.

"How is this beautiful?" JJ shot back, gesturing to her stump. Will leaned down. Gently, he pressed a soft kiss to the long scar that ran across the remainder of JJ's arm. Straightening up again, he put his arm around JJ.

"Your scar is real beauty, JJ. Most people don' see it that way, but we do. Bethany Hamilton an' her family would see it that way. I love you because you're you," Will said softly, leaning in and kissing JJ briefly. When he pulled away, she was smiling.

"I love you too. You're too good to me," she replied, kissing him again. Will shook his head, grinning.

"I could never be good enough to you," he whispered, kissing her deeply.

xxx

When JJ and Will came out of the room, everyone else was eating their second helping of pasta, having left some aside for the two. Will had his arm around JJ's shoulders as they sauntered into the kitchen.

"Welcome back to the world that exists outside the bedroom," Emily teased sarcastically. JJ stuck her tongue out, only to get the same reaction back. Will served up some pasta for himself and JJ, playfully poking JJ's side when she tried to grab one of the bowls. JJ laughed, grabbing the bowl and dodging out of his way, heading for the table.

"Damn it, why do women always win?" Will joked. Everyone cracked up as JJ sat down beside Henry, who threw his arms around JJ as high as he could reach.

"Hey buddy," JJ said softly, wrapping her arm around him.

"Hi Mommy," Henry replied, grinning cheekily up at her.

xxx

_Emily screamed as a huge tiger shark reared up out of the water and clamped down on JJ's shoulder. As it pulled away, JJ cried out, her right hand scrabbling to grab the board and keep her above the water. Emily watched in horror as the board tipped to the left, and the shark dragged JJ under the water. Looking around desperately, she realised that Morgan was nowhere to be seen. Blood was swirling to the surface. As a last resort, Emily dove off her board, swimming through the water, which was now clouded with blood. She could see JJ, slowly sinking towards the bottom. As she reached out to grab her and pull her to the surface, Emily felt the shark clamp its jaws down over her midsection._

Emily awoke with a scream, crying as she tried to catch her breath. The door flew open, and Morgan came into the room.

"Hey, Em, it's alright, it's ok," he said consolingly as he pulled a hysterical Emily into his arms.

"I keep seeing it...it won't go away," Emily sobbed into his shoulder, her voice broken and muffled. Morgan rubbed her back soothingly, trying to calm her down.

"It's alright. JJ's fine...it's in the past," he whispered.

"It'll never be in the past"

xxx

JJ dug her toes into the sand as she watched the waves crash onto the shore. She felt someone sit down beside her, and glanced over, finding Spencer sitting next to her.

"Hey Spence," she said softly.

"Are you ok?" Spencer asked. JJ shrugged.

"Yeah, just feeling a little...confused and overwhelmed, I guess. But really, I'm fine"

"Overwhelmed?"

"I always need help. It's overwhelming because I'm so used to being independent. I want that back"

"You'll get there. It'll take some time"

They sat in silence for a moment before Spencer heard a shaky sob.

"JJ?"

"Why did this happen to me? Why did I have to lose everything?" JJ choked out, on the verge of tears. Spencer hesitated, before resting his hand on her left shoulder, his thumb just brushing the scar on her stump.

"You didn't lose everything. Not even close," he said reassuringly. JJ turned to look at him, her blue eyes swimming with tears.

"How so?" she asked, her voice wavering.

"That shark didn't kill you. You're still alive. You have a family that loves you," Spencer said gently. JJ mulled it over in her mind before a watery smile broke onto her face.

"You're right," she said softly. Spencer stood up, and held his hand out for her, pulling her to her feet.

"I'm a genius. Statistically, I'm right 99 percent of the time," he replied, making JJ laugh.

"Whatever you say," she teased, before putting her arm around him and hugging him.

"Thanks Spence"

"For what?"

"For being a good friend"

**A/N: Finally! BTW, I know that's from Soul Surfer, I just had to put it in, because it's a beautiful scene.**

**Please review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	8. Love

**A/N: I'm going to murder my little sister. Every time she walks past my bedroom, she bangs on the door. It keeps distracting me. Please, don't tell anyone what I've done...:) lol, I kid.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Will and JJ lay entangled in the bed sheets, breathless and glowing after a long and fiery bout of passion. Will looked to his right, finding JJ looking at him with a smile on her face, her skin lit up by the moonlight.

"You're so beautiful, you know that?" he said softly, reaching across and gently cupping her cheek. JJ smiled even bigger, bringing her hand up to rest on top of his as she felt that familiar fluttery feeling in her stomach.

"You tell me that every day," she said softly, moving closer to him so their faces were only centimetres apart.

"Because it's true," Will murmured, kissing her deeply. It only took a few moments before JJ allowed herself to be swept up in love once again, and to just forget about everything in reality.

xxx

When Emily walked out into the main room, she found it just like it was every morning. Relaxed, with everyone doing their own thing. Morgan was concocting some god awful health food, while Hotch was cutting fruit into shapes for Henry, who was sitting on the bench beside Hotch, watching intently. Spencer and Will were poring over various sections of the newspaper, which were strewn across the kitchen table. Emily walked over to where Garcia was sitting on the living room couch, and laughed at what she saw.

"Seriously, JJ?" she asked, sitting down next to Garcia.

"I have one arm, I wanted an orange, I was not getting someone to peel it for me," JJ muttered as she dug her thumb under the thick skin of the orange, which was planted firmly between her feet.

"I offered to peel it. She just about murdered me with a death stare," Hotch called out. Emily giggled as some of the juice sprayed on Garcia, who shrieked.

"Jayje! Now I'm going to be sticky!" she scolded. JJ laughed.

"Sorry, Pen," she said innocently.

"You should be," Garcia scowled. Emily watched in slight awe as JJ managed to quickly peel the skin of the orange, and separate it into two halves.

"Ok, now how do you eat it piece by piece?" she questioned as JJ threw the peel in the bin. JJ responded by tearing a segment off with her teeth.

"I see," Emily muttered, making JJ laugh as she walked over to Will.

"Finally eatin' it now that you've wrestled with it fo' half an hour?" Will teased.

"It took me a while to figure out that if I held it between my feet, I could peel it," JJ replied sheepishly.

"Hey JJ. Did you two have fun last night when you thought we were all asleep?" Morgan called out over the blender. Emily, slightly unsure as to what he meant (as she _had_ been asleep), realised what he was saying when she saw JJ's bright red face and Will trying to suppress laughter.

"Did you have fun deciding which hand to use last night?" JJ shot back. Hotch's hands shot over Henry's ears, while everyone else cracked up.

"I'm sorry," Morgan replied bashfully.

"Should be," JJ muttered through a mouthful of orange.

"Now that we have the innuendo and sexual teasing out of the way, can we please refer back to G or PG rated conversation, for Henry's sake?" Hotch asked. The look on his face (one of slight shock and amusement) made them laugh.

"Who's up for a morning surf?" JJ threw in.

"Me!" Emily and Morgan both replied at the same time.

xxx

JJ sighed in frustration as she lost control of her board underwater for the third time. She was almost set to paddle out again when Morgan came over and took the board from her.

"Use mine, I'll be back in about half an hour," he said, before disappearing. Slightly confused, JJ paddled out to where Emily was waiting, and lay on the board, letting the waves roll underneath her. A sudden wave of phantom pain hit her, making her groan slightly as she had the sensation that her left arm was dangling in the water.

_JJ was suddenly aware of something rearing up out of the water. Before she even had time to look, she felt a lot of pressure, and a sharp tug. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a huge shark sinking back into the water. She yelled out in shock, hearing Emily's scream of anguish in the background._

JJ pushed herself upright, sitting on the board instead.

"You ok, Jayje?" Emily asked, a concerned look on her face.

"Yeah...just...it's nothing," JJ tried to wave off casually.

"That's not nothing, JJ. Something was bothering you just now"

"Every time I try and lie down on a surfboard, I keep having the same thing play over in my head. Those few seconds when I was attacked. It's not that big a deal, but I wish it would just go away"

"It will eventually. You've already come so far, in such a short amount of time"

"I guess, but still..."

"Don't dwell on it. It makes it worse," Emily offered. JJ looked up from where she had been watching the surface of the water, and broke into a smile.

"I'll try not to," she replied. Emily grinned.

"Good. Now let's go and shred some waves," she joked, making JJ burst out laughing.

xxx

JJ dragged the board onto the sand at the same time that Morgan returned with hers.

"Problem solved?" he asked, spinning it around to face her. JJ smiled brightly when she saw what he'd done. Having taken a leaf out of Tom Hamilton's book, he had rigged a handle on the board so that she could control it when duck diving.

"Definitely solved," she replied, grinning from ear to ear.

xxx

The stars lit up the night sky, reflecting on the surface of the water. JJ lay with her head on Will's chest as the two of them cuddled up on a blanket on the beach. After making sure that Henry was sound asleep, they had slipped out of the house, unnoticed by anyone.

"Will?"

"Yeah?"

"How...how can you act like nothing's changed?"

"'Cause you're still the same...granted much braver and far more determine' than before...but you're still you. And I'll always love you, no matter what," Will reasoned, pressing a kiss to the top of JJ's head. JJ smiled.

"I bet I'd never be able to find a guy who is as understanding of my situation, and as caring as you are," she whispered.

"That's 'cause I'm amazin'," Will joked. JJ laughed, stretching up and kissing him.

"You bet you are," she whispered against his lips.

It only took a few minutes to progress completely from cuddling on the beach to sex on the beach. Will remained as romantic, and as caring as usual. He never broke eye contact with JJ the whole time. As they moved with each other, he would remain fixated on those beautiful blue eyes that shone in the moonlight. He kept one hand on the ground to keep himself steady, and the other hand just resting over the scar on JJ's arm.

JJ liked the way he touched her. It was never overstepping boundaries, or forced upon her. It was gentle, and loving. Even the way his fingers just ghosted over her scar meant so much to her, had so much feeling. Her vision hazed over as she fell into oblivion, Will whispering sweet words into her ear just before he fell after her. When JJ managed to see clearly again, she found Will collapsed against her chest, breathing deeply.

They lay like that for a while, a blanket over the top of them to keep them covered.

"Will?"

"Mm?"

"I love you with all of my heart"

**A/N: There you have it, Chapter 8!**

**Please read and review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	9. Bethany

**A/N: Just watched 7x08 'Hope'. Love it when JJ just casually opens the door and points her gun at the guy.**

****I almost cried over the fact that there were no tissues today. Gonna drop that in somewhere.**

**What would you guys think of (a totally fictional idea) a movie and a book about JJ's experience? I would, obviously, make it as different as possible to Bethany's.**

**I had an idea relating to the one above. Instead of **_**Soul Surfer**_**, there would be a movie about both Bethany and JJ? Review with your opinions.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Emily and JJ danced around, giggling and singing along to the loud music. They had, upon invitation by the people next door, joined a huge beach party. After much begging, they had convinced Spencer and Hotch to come along.

xxx

"_Please? Pretty pleeeeaaaase?" JJ whined, flashing her puppy face, as did Emily._

"_No," Spencer said uncertainly._

"_Absolutely not," Hotch stated._

"_You really need to loosen your tie, pull that stick out of your ass, and live a little," JJ replied. Will and Morgan both spat their water across the table as they started laughing. Rossi had shut himself into his bedroom, howling with laughter. Even Spencer was laughing._

"_Just to prove I don't have a stick up my ass, I'm coming. And so are you, Reid," Hotch shot back. Spencer let out a squeak, while JJ and Emily high fived each other._

xxx

Morgan and Will sauntered over, each carrying two drinks. Morgan handed one to Emily, Will gave one to JJ, then put his arm around her.

"Havin' fun?"

"Lots of it," JJ replied, leaning into Will. Hotch, Rossi, and Spencer came trudging through the sand, followed by Garcia, who was carrying a very excited Henry.

"While we're all here, there's something I'd like to say," Morgan announced. They gathered into a circle sort of group, listening intently.

"So I just wanted to say that this has been a great vacation, despite everything that's happened, and I'm glad I got to spend it with you guys. I'm also glad, and I'm positive that everyone is too, that we still have our favourite little blonde here with us today," Morgan stated, smiling at JJ as he spoke.

"Here's to JJ!" he finished. They held their drinks in the air, and then took a simultaneous drink. JJ was blushing, even in the darkness.

"You guys are the best friends and co-workers I could ever ask for," she replied, getting a little teary as she thought of how supportive they had been since the attack.

xxx

JJ led Will into the trees that ran along the beach. As they entered, she noticed Emily and Morgan at the edge of the tree line, sharing a soft kiss. She smiled, glad that they had finally caved. Pulling Will in further, she walked until she couldn't see the lights from the beach party anymore. Turning around, she caught Will by surprise, and kissed him deeply. Will snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her extremely close to him. JJ didn't want to stop. She felt the need for him growing as he deepened the kiss.

xxx

Will gently massaged JJ's shoulders and back while she sat in front of him on the beach. Her mood had been rapidly depleting over the last week, and she had complained of not feeling so great either. Will kept rubbing small circles on her back as she lay back on his folded legs.

"Feel better?" Will drawled.

"Sort of. Better than before," JJ replied. She heard someone trudging through the sand, and sighed inwardly when someone tapped her shoulder.

"JJ? There's someone here that I think you ought to meet," Emily's voice told her. JJ stood up, and turned to face Emily, almost gasping when she saw who was standing behind her.

"Hi. I'm Bethany"

xxx

Emily cuddled closer to Morgan. She liked having his big strong arms wrapped around her. They helped her to forget the horror of that day. Bethany and JJ were surfing, with Bethany giving JJ some pointers, and Will was being buried by Henry and Garcia, who were giggling hysterically as they covered the Southerner in sand.

"You'll want to kick with your legs as much as you can. One arm doesn't give you a great deal of power," Bethany explained. As they paddled out further to where the waves were beginning to break, JJ gave it a go, and found that she could move a lot further in just a few strokes.

"Now you're doing it!" Bethany exclaimed excitedly. JJ laughed as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

When they were done surfing, they ran up to the beach, and dumped their boards, before quickly busying themselves entertaining Hanalei, Bethany's sharpie puppy. Hanalei was getting excited from the attention, jumping around and barking, as well as licking JJ's face.

"Hana!" Bethany said exasperatedly. JJ giggled as Hanalei jumped up, putting her paws on JJ's knees, and licked her cheek.

"I think she likes you," Bethany laughed, kneeling beside JJ and scratching Hanalei's ears.

xxx

JJ walked into the main room, only to find Emily and Morgan completely engrossed in each other. A little shocked, she moved, wide eyed, into the kitchen.

"How long...?" she trailed off, pointing over her shoulder. Hotch completely ignored the question, while Will and Rossi both grinned. JJ ran a glass of water while waiting for an answer.

"About half an hour. I'm surprised they have enough control to not have made a baby yet," Rossi replied. JJ choked, spitting water out of her mouth as she started laughing. Will and Rossi also started laughing, while Hotch just shook his head, fighting back a grin as he left the room.

xxx

JJ carefully chopped up a banana, picking it up and dropping it into the blender with the chocolate ice cream and vanilla yoghurt. Hotch, being his ever boring self, was reading the paper. Rossi and Morgan had started a violent game of beach soccer with a coconut, and as a result, their 'battle cries' were echoing up into the house. Will entered the kitchen, going to put his arms around JJ's waist from behind.

"Don't," JJ said firmly as she put the lid on the blender. Will moved to her side, leaning back on the bench so he could see her face. JJ kept her eyes down, avoiding his gaze.

"What's wrong, JJ?" Will asked.

"Nothing," JJ replied, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Will waited while she blended the contents of the blender, and poured it into a glass. At that moment, he went to pull her into a hug.

"You can tell me if somethin's-"

"Will, just stop! Ok?" JJ exclaimed, making Hotch look up over the paper. JJ stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the bedroom door behind her. Will turned to Hotch, a bewildered look on his face.

"Why are women so difficult?" he asked. Hotch shrugged.

"You might want to go talk to her," he suggested softly. Will sighed, looking defeated as he headed for the bedroom. Knocking softly, he gently pushed open the door...and found JJ sitting cross legged in the middle of the bed, in tears.

"JJ? Why you cryin'?" he asked gently. JJ sniffed a little as she looked up at him, tears running down her cheeks.

"There's no tissues," she stated in between sobs. Will laughed as he sat down beside her, putting his arm around her.

"There's no tissues? That's why you're cryin'?" he verified. JJ nodded, putting her arm around his neck and burying his face in her shoulder. Will grinned, wrapping his arms around her and rubbing her back.

"Is it that time o' the month or somethin'?" he teased.

"I don't know," JJ's muffled voice came from his shoulder, making him chuckle. He would never truly understand his girlfriend.

**A/N: Yeah. I cried over no tissues. Bad day. Very bad day.**

**Please review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	10. Ku'aihelani Beach

**A/N: One more exam, and then it's the weekend!**

**EXAMS ARE DONE! I can now focus all my energy on slamming out chapters of this and Compass, and hopefully finishing Titanic, and Memento Mori before next February. I also have a little surprise for you guys, but you'll have to wait a while.**

**BTW, the name of the beach in this chapter, I made it up. It is an actual Hawaiian word (it can be heard in 'Bethany's Wave' from Soul Surfer), but it's not an actual beach as far as I know.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.**

"I don't want to go home in a week. I want to stay," JJ sighed, resting her head on Will's shoulder.

"We can always come back another time," Will replied, gently stroking her hair. He looked up, looking out at the setting sun. The waves were crashing onto the beach, which was surprisingly calming. They had come out for a swim, and were now resting on the sand.

"Hey, Will?" JJ said softly.

"Mm?"

"I...Remember how snappy I was the other day?"

"And then you cried over tissues?"

"Yeah...well, I know why. It's also why I haven't been feeling so great"

"Wait..."

"I'm pregnant," JJ finished, twisting around so she could see Will's face. He looked thoughtful for a moment, but then broke into a wide grin.

"Jay, that's great!" he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.

"You think so?" JJ asked, smiling. Will responded by kissing her softly.

"I'll take that as a yes," JJ joked, leaning into his chest.

"Well, after our...extracurricular activities...another baby was a given," Will teased, making JJ laugh. His hands came to rest on her still flat belly, over her hand. It amazed him to know that their child, Henry's little brother or sister was growing in there.

xxx

"It's such a shame that you have to go," Bethany said sadly.

"I really want to stay, but we really have to. We were meant to be home about three weeks ago," JJ explained.

"Well, we'll have to squeeze in as much as surfing as we can before you leave," Bethany laughed. JJ laughed as well, seeing just how much Bethany loved to surf.

"Hey...Bethany. I wanted to ask you something," JJ said slowly.

"Go ahead," Bethany replied, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Well...I found out the other day that Will and I are having another baby-"

"Really? Oh wow, that's amazing! Congratulations!" Bethany said excitedly, hugging JJ. JJ laughed again. Bethany was too excitable.

"And I wanted to know how you would feel about...if it's a girl...we used your middle name. You mean a lot to me now, because you've helped me through a really tough time," JJ explained slowly.

"Oh, JJ, I'd be honoured if you used my middle name, I really would," Bethany said softly, putting her arm around JJ's shoulders.

xxx

JJ stood, leaning into Will's side, her arm wrapped over her stomach. Will had his arm around her, as they stood before the others.

"What was it you wanted to share?" Hotch asked. JJ looked at Will, before turning back to her team.

"We wanted to tell you before we left...I have an explanation for my behaviour recently," she said, looking around at her co-workers. They all looked expectantly back at her.

"We found out the other day that...Henry is going to be a big brother," she finished. Emily and Garcia screamed, jumping up and throwing their arms around JJ, who burst out laughing as she hugged her friends. Rossi, Morgan, Hotch, and Spencer were all shaking hands with Will, who was beaming from ear to ear. Henry was looking between his parents from where he stood on the couch, obviously confused.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah little man?"

"What happen?"

"Well...Mommy's having a baby," JJ explained as simply as possible. Henry smiled.

"A bubby?" he asked. Garcia and Emily silently awed. JJ nodded.

"That's right," she replied. Henry threw his arms around her neck, giving her a big hug.

xxx

JJ carefully chopped up the grapefruit, which was in between her feet.

"What's taking so long?" Morgan called from outside. JJ quickly put the knife down, and put all the pieces of grapefruit, mango, and papaya onto the chopping board. Standing up, she reached down and lifted up the tray on which she had arranged the fruit. As the lifted it off the ground, she struggled keeping it from tipping, and a few pieces of grapefruit slid off the tray.

"What's for breakfast?" Morgan called impatiently. JJ stood up straight, putting the tray on the counter as she grinned at her friends through the window. Picking up an uncut grapefruit, she ditched it through the open window, smacking Morgan in the side of the head. The others laughed as he glared at his blonde colleague.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she teased. Rossi threw his hands up.

"Yes, we would! We're hungry!" he exclaimed, making everyone laugh. JJ quickly ducked down and picked the fruit up off the floor. Luckily, it had all landed skin down, meaning it could still be eaten.

Will wolf whistled as JJ came out onto the deck, carrying a tray of fruit and what looked like banana bread, and a pitcher of orange and mango juice with her one hand.

"Jayje, I can't even carry things with two hands!" Garcia exclaimed, pouting slightly. JJ couldn't help feeling slightly proud for managing it all by herself.

"Wow...what's the occasion?" Hotch asked as he helped JJ put the tray and pitcher onto the table.

"Do I need one?" she replied.

"What do you want?" Will teased. JJ took a deep breath.

"There is...one more thing I would like to do before we leave," she said, looking around at her family and friends.

"Go on," Emily said, motioning for JJ to continue.

"Well...I'd like to go back to Ku'aihelani Beach"

xxx

JJ stood in the ankle deep water, looking out at the dark blue water beyond her. Her surfboard was under her arm, the colours blinding in the bright Hawaiian sun. As she looked out at the water, memories came flooding back.

_The sharp tug._

_The blood swirling through the rolling water._

_The chunk missing under her left shoulder._

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath as Will came up beside her.

"You don't have to do this. I know you want to, I know you want to prove to us that you're strong, but we already know that," he said, concern evident in his voice.

"I...I have to do this. I need to," JJ replied, turning to look at him. Will remained silent for a few moments, before pulling her into a hug.

"Alright. Be safe," he said warmly, kissing her chastely. JJ smiled, nodding. Emily and Morgan joined her, boards under their arms.

"You ready to go, blondie?" Morgan asked. JJ grinned, suddenly feeling a lot happier and lighter than before. She was relieved that they were going with her. It was hard for both of them, especially Emily, who had completely lost it when JJ was attacked.

"Let's do this," JJ said determinedly. The three of them set off at a run, jumping onto their boards and paddling out towards the waves.

xxx

After a bit of a hesitant start on JJ's part, they had surfed the cool water, feeling much more refreshed. JJ and Emily decided to take a break, while Morgan kept surfing, just as they had on that fateful day. JJ was looking down into the water from where she lay on her surfboard. Her stump was sitting over the edge of the surfboard, just touching the water, in the very same position her arm had been before she was attacked. Her right arm was braced across the nose of the board. Emily noticed her worry, and paddled closer to her.

"Jayje," she said gently, reaching out and touching JJ's shoulder. JJ looked up, taking a deep breath.

"Nothing's going to happen. It's alright," Emily told her reassuringly.

"I know...I know," JJ said softly.

"Maybe we shouldn't have come out here," Emily wondered out loud.

"I'm fine...," JJ said, trailing off as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Emily did the same. As she was getting comfortable, she heard a quiet sob. Looking to her left, she found JJ hastily wiping her eyes. No words were needed as Emily put her arm around the blonde's shoulders and gave her a comforting squeeze.

"Don't cry, JJ. You've done so well already. How about we just try to forget about everything and go join Morgan?" Emily suggested gently. JJ nodded, wiping her eyes again as more tears leaked out.

"Let's go 'hang ten'," Emily said, grinning. JJ burst out laughing, her tears forgotten.

"Em, you're doing really great with the surfing, but you need help with the slang. The most commonly used term is 'rip it up'," she replied, laughing as they paddled towards Morgan.

"Ok then, Mrs Reid, let's go rip it up"

xxx

JJ jogged back onto the beach, dropping her surfboard with Morgan's. Will walked over and wrapped her in his arms.

"How'd you go?" he asked.

"Good...I had a bit of a meltdown, but Emily calmed me down," JJ replied honestly.

"Well, it's good that you didn't hold it in. Otherwise you would explode," Will joked. JJ laughed, intertwining her fingers with his as they rejoined the others.

xxx

JJ sat against the window of the plane, her legs resting over Will's lap. Will was absently massaging her calf while he sorted through a bunch of photos that Garcia had taken and had developed before they left. Henry was quietly playing with his Transformer. Morgan's head popped up over the back of the seat.

"Hey you," JJ said quietly, grinning.

"Comfortable there?"

"I am, thanks for asking"

"Smartass"

JJ laughed, resting back against the window.

"We need to go back again sometime, get some nice waves," Morgan suggested.

"Definitely. You don't get waves like that in DC"

"Hey...did you ever tell your family what happened?" Morgan asked. JJ nodded, her smile fading.

"That was...more than eventful," she responded.

"Yeah? How so?"

xxx

"_Hello? Michelle speaking"_

"_Hey Mom...it's me"_

"_Jenny, it's nice to hear from you. How have you been?"_

"_I've been alright...I just...I need to tell you something"_

"_Go on"_

"_Did you see anything on the news a few weeks ago, about a shark attack near Oahu, at Ku'aihelani Beach?"_

"_Yes, I did. I couldn't believe it, it was quite shocking"_

"_Well...that was...that was me"_

_JJ's mother gasped._

"_Jen, you're not serious?" she exclaimed._

"_I wish I wasn't"_

"_Oh my god...hold on, I'll be right back"_

_A few moments silence, then a few muffled thumps, and her mother returned._

"_Your dad's here too"_

"_Jen, is your mother full of it?"_

"_Unfortunately, no"_

"_Honey, we only ever saw two broadcasts about it. They never mentioned how bad the attack was," her father said._

"_Don't freak out...but I lost my left arm," JJ explained softly._

"_Oh boy...how are you holding up?" Mr Jareau asked, while his wife tried to come to grips with what her daughter had just said._

"_Me? I'm fine. I went surfing this morning with Derek and Emily, and I've never felt better"_

"_Jennifer!" her mother exclaimed._

"_What?" JJ laughed._

"_Why do you have to scare me like that? You get attacked by a shark and then keep surfing!"_

_JJ and her father laughed._

"_It's fine, Mom, there's really nothing to worry about"_

"_Sure, sure..."_

"_Hon, do you have access to Skype over there?"_

"_Yeah. Hold on"_

_JJ walked out into the main room, where the others were starting to wind down from a long hard day of surfing and swimming. Sitting down at the desktop computer, JJ logged on to Skype, and started a video chat with her parents. Her parents immediately appeared on the screen. JJ grinned, giving them a little wave. Will came up behind her, also waving to her parents._

"_Hey Will. How are you going?" Mr Jareau said cheerfully._

"_Not bad. Keepin' your daughter out o' trouble," Will joked, making JJ's parents laugh, and JJ scowl._

"_That's good, keep it up," Mrs Jareau told him._

"_How...how bad is it, honey?" Mr Jareau asked. From the angle that JJ was facing the computer, her parents couldn't see her arm. JJ turned so they could see it clearly, and pulled the sleeve of her T-shirt away from it. Her parents took in the little of her arm remained, the scar, but at the same time, how muscular it already looked._

"_Well, you certainly know how to scare your parents," Mrs Jareau muttered. JJ grinned._

"_I try my hardest..._

xxx

"So your parents took it well?" Morgan asked. JJ nodded.

"Yeah, they took it better than I expected. Mom kind of freaked out a little at first, and it took her a little while to process it, but all up, they took it _really_ well. It was definitely better than them finding out from news broadcasts or from my brother letting something slip," she replied. Morgan raised his eyebrows and nodded, as if to say '_you have a point'_.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to try and get some sleep," JJ said, pulling the airplane blanket over her lap. Morgan saluted, making her laugh, before sitting back down in his seat. JJ pulled the blanket around her shoulders, and settled the pillow against the wall, before closing her eyes to try and catch some sleep before arriving in DC.

**A/N: I'm so sorry, I know this took forever, but I've had sooooo much piled on my plate! I'm going camping next week, and Mum's hopefully letting me take my laptop, so I'll be able to type out a few chapters for you, ready to be put up upon my return. Who knows, I might even have internet access down south (we're staying in a powered camp ground)**

**Please take the time to leave a review! This took me forever, I'd love to see what you thought!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	11. Toast, Lucy & Hollywood

**A/N: I have watched Soul Surfer about eight times in the past three days. When I'm home alone, I put it on and just watch it over, and over, and over, and over...**

**PLEASE READ!**Say two separate movies were made, one about Bethany, one about JJ. Bethany's would keep the cast it has, but say JJ and AJ are two completely different people who have striking similarities. What do you say? It would be the same coincidence between Emily and Paget, Will and Josh, etc. Too weird? Review your opinion.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Will woke up the morning after arriving home to bright sunlight streaming into the bedroom. He could hear Henry playing with some of his toys while watching cartoons in the family room. JJ was asleep on his chest, her hair falling across his eyes. Carefully, so as not to wake her up, Will extracted himself from under her sleeping form. She stirred slightly, but just as quickly rolled over and went back to sleep.

Will shut the door behind him, before crossing the hall into the family room.

"Hey buddy," he said, sitting down beside Henry. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Get rid of da bad guys, like Mommy!" Henry exclaimed excitedly, hitting his Transformer in the head with a Barbie doll, that had somehow wound up in his toybox after JJ's cousin had paid a visit with her young girl. Will laughed, looking towards the TV. Sure enough, like it was every morning at 7:30, _The Super Hero Squad_ was on.

"How about we get some breakfast, hey buddy?" he suggested. Henry nodded, dropping everything he had in his hands, and following his Daddy into the kitchen.

xxx

JJ opened her eyes, squinting when the sunlight hit them. Rolling to her right, she found an empty space. Pushing herself up onto her elbow, she wondered where Will was. Voices floated in, muffled by the closed bedroom door.

"Superhewoes eat ice cream for bekfast, Daddy!" Henry was explaining.

"Really?"

Henry must have nodded, because Will spoke again. "I don' think so. How would Superman get his muscles if he had ice cream for breakfast?"

"Magic!"

"Ok, you've been spendin' way too much time with your Uncle Spencer"

JJ grinned, getting out of bed, and pulling her jumper over her pyjamas. Pulling open the door, she walked out of the bedroom, through the family room, over to the kitchen, where Henry was sitting at the counter, devouring a piece of toast. Will was making himself some toast. He looked up, and smiled when he saw JJ coming over.

"Hey munchkin," she said softly, kissing the top of Henry's head.

" 'i 'ommy," Henry replied, through a mouthful of toast. JJ laughed, walking over beside Will. Will put his arm around her waist as he waited for the second piece of toast to pop. JJ smiled evilly, reaching over and grabbing the first piece. Will immediately tried to grab it back.

"Hey, cher! What are you doin'?" he exclaimed, trying to grab her as she ducked. JJ took a bite out of the piece of toast as went to try and grab her again. Henry was giggling, while Will shook his head.

"Now I'm gonna have to make another piece," he whined. JJ stepped up beside him again, ruffling his short hair.

"Poor diddums, are you going to survive?" she teased.

"No," Will shot back. JJ laughed, moving over to the fridge to grab the juice. She held the piece of toast between her teeth as she carried the juice back over to the bench. Will reached over and tore off the bit that her teeth didn't have a grip on, taking a big bite. JJ removed what was left of the toast from her mouth, giving him a look that said _'Are you kidding me?'_. By now, Henry was in hysterical giggles, clutching his little tummy.

xxx

"Hey, Henry wants to go to the park. Do you wanna come too?" Will asked, leaning against the doorframe. JJ shook her head, drawing her knees closer to her chest.

"I'm too tired," she mumbled lamely. Will sighed, walking over and sitting beside her.

"You can't become a recluse, Jayje. You do have to leave the house," he said softly.

"I hate the stares that people give me. It's so demeaning"

"You need to get used to going out in public in a busy place. Come with us. It'll be fine," Will said, standing up and holding out his hand. JJ hesitated for a moment, before reaching up and taking it.

xxx

JJ sat on a park bench, watching as Will pushed Henry on the swing. The park was busy on that particular day, with kids and parents everywhere.

A young woman with dark brown hair, probably about JJ's age, sat down beside JJ, smiling as her little girl tore off to the other swing.

"Which one's yours?" she asked conversationally.

"The little boy on the swing," JJ said, smiling.

"He's adorable. Is that your husband?" the woman continued, looking over to the swing.

"Boyfriend, actually, of nearly five years," JJ replied.

"Wow. You guys must have a strong relationship," the woman said. JJ laughed.

"We have our moments, but for the most part, it is pretty strong"

"I've been so rude, I haven't even introduced myself. Lucy Jackson"

"Jennifer Jareau. JJ"

"It's nice to meet you," Lucy said warmly.

"Nice to meet you too"

"So, what's your little boy's name?"

"Henry"

"Oh that's cute," Lucy gushed, making JJ laugh again. "My daughter's name is Emilly. Spelt with two L's, because I was so out of it when she was born, I honestly thought that was how it was spelt"

JJ couldn't help laughing with Lucy.

"One of my colleagues is called Emily. With one L"

"Yeah? Where do you work?"

"I'm with the Behavioural Analysis Unit of the FBI"

"Oh wow, the FBI? That must be exciting"

"The paperwork isn't"

"It's paperwork, of course it's not," Lucy snorted. The two women laughed again. "You know, you're very tanned for DC"

"Actually, I just got back from Hawaii last night"

"Oh, Hawaii. I really wish I could have just a day there at the moment"

"We were there with my colleagues for...about seven weeks"

"Lucky you!" Lucy gasped. JJ grinned. "You must have had a blast!"

"It was great. Apart from one or two particular times, it was a _lot_ of fun. I can't wait to do it again"

"Hang on..." Lucy looked thoughtful for a moment. "Seven weeks...you were there when that shark attack happened"

JJ let out a deep breath that she hadn't realised she was holding. She decided to clear the air immediately, and just get it over with.

"Actually...I was the one who was attacked"

Lucy's eyes mirrored dinner plates as soon as the words had left JJ's mouth.

"You're joking!" she gasped. JJ shook her head.

"I thought the one arm would've given it away," she joked. Lucy laughed.

"I saw a news segment about it, but I never heard anything after that. They didn't give details, just that someone was attacked at Ku'aihelani Beach off of Oahu, so no-one knew if it was just a bite, if they lived, or anything like that"

"What did you think was the reason for me having one arm?"

"Well the first thought that crossed my mind was that shark attack, but I figured it was a one in a million chance that I would ever actually run into that person. So I figured it was something like what Nick Vujicic has. You know that motivational speaker?"

"I've heard of him, through Bethany Hamilton. She thinks he's one of the nicest people she's ever met"

"Oh wow, you got to meet Bethany. My oldest daughter, Tiarna, is in awe of Bethany. Total fan"

"Bethany came to speak with me, a few weeks after the attack. She really helped me come to grips with what had happened"

JJ turned to see Will walking towards them. He smiled, sitting down beside her on the end of the bench.

"Hi. I'm Lucy," Lucy said, reaching forward to shake his hand.

"Will, it's nice to meet ya," Will replied, shaking her hand.

"Quite an accent you have there"

"New Orleans does that to ya"

"Long way from home"

"Yeah. I met JJ when she was on a case there. When we found she was havin' Henry, I gave up my job and moved up here to be a stay at home daddy"

xxx

JJ fell onto the couch. After talking for ages with Lucy, she had been roped into playing with Henry. She was exhausted, wanting nothing more than to fall into bed and sleep for a week.

"JJ. Someone's on the phone for you. Name's Daniel Fredrichson," Will said, entering the family room. JJ groaned inwardly, pulling herself off the couch. Taking the phone, she pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Jennifer Jareau?" was the reply, with a British accent.

"Yes"

"Hi Jennifer, my name's Daniel Fredrichson. You're probably wondering who the hell I am, and why the hell I'm calling you"

JJ laughed. "That's about what I'm thinking"

"Right, well let's clear that up. I'm an agent in Hollywood, and I work closely with Roy Hofstetter, Bethany Hamilton's agent. I'm calling because there are a few TV shows who want to interview you, who have wanted to since your attack. If you choose to go through with the interviews, you're going to need an agent, and I'm offering my services"

JJ felt overwhelmed with information.

"Wait, let me get this straight. There's TV shows that want to interview me, I'll need an agent, you're offering your services?"

"That's right"

"Wow...um..."

"You don't have to make a decision right now. You have a few days to toss it around before I need a definite answer. I'm contactable on the number 555-0173 at any time"

"Ok. I'll definitely think about it. Thank you"

"Feel free to call me anytime. I'll hear from you soon?"

"Definitely"

"Alright. I have to go, but don't forget to call me"

"I won't. Bye"

JJ hung up, feeling slightly dazed with everything she had just been told.

"You alright?" Will asked.

"TV shows want to interview me, Daniel just offered to be my agent...I'm going to bed," JJ sighed, exiting the room. Will laughed at her confusion, before going off to see what Henry was up to.

**A/N: ...and over, and over. Lol. Please, please tell me what you think of the movie idea (see AN at top)**

**Please review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	12. Curiosity Killed The Cat

**A/N: Going to the beach tomorrow to body board some big waves!**

****Correction. Have already been to beach. Waves taller than me (I'm 5"8), and I ate sand a few times.**

*****Grocery store scene: In terms of the little kid, I've done that, to a guy who'd lost his leg.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

JJ sat forward on the couch, her eyes fixated on the TV. Will entered the room, and upon seeing his girlfriend's intense stare, followed her gaze. He took a deep breath when he saw what had her so focused.

"Jayje...come on. Turn it off," he coaxed gently. On the TV, the news station was following the story of a large tiger shark being spotted off the coast of DC. Obviously, while channel surfing, JJ had accidentally happened across it.

"Jayje-"

"I'm good. Leave me alone," JJ replied defiantly, holding the TV remote tightly in her grip. Will gently tried to prise it away from her, which made JJ inch further away from him.

"Come on, JJ, it doesn't do you any good to dwell on things like this. Let it go-"

"Just stop! Stop telling me what's good for me and what isn't, ok? I'm so fucking sick of it!" JJ snapped, banging the remote down on the coffee table, and storming into their bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

"Freakin' hormonal-" Will began, but was cut off just in time by Henry.

"Daddy?"

"Oh, hey buddy"

"Why Mommy mad?"

"It's somethin' called hormones. Makes Daddy's hair go grey," Will joked, picking Henry up. Henry giggled, ruffling Will's hair.

"No grey!" he said excitedly.

"Yeah, but it will be," Will muttered, heading for the playroom with his young son.

xxx

Will pushed open the bedroom door, earning an 'if looks could kill' glare from JJ.

"Leave. Now. Or I'll deck you," she threatened. Will stepped inside, closing the door. As it clicked into place, JJ flew at him. Will braced one arm across her shoulders, and grabbed her clenched fist with the other, holding her back as she struggled.

"Now, you don' wanna do that. Remember last time you punched me?"

_JJ walked down the alley, glancing around. She was in New Orleans again, heading to a nearby bar to meet Will._

_As she looked behind her nervously, knowing the alley wasn't the smartest place to be that late at night, someone stumbled forward from a dark doorway. One of hand grabbed her arm, the other, her hip. Acting on instinct, JJ yelled out in fright and punched her 'attacker' in the face...only to receive a punch of the same force back. Stumbling backwards, she grabbed the keychain torch she kept in her pocket. Flicking it on, she shone it in her attacker's direction._

"_Will!" she shrieked, hurrying towards him._

"_Oh god, JJ, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you, but you scared the shit outta me," Will rambled, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head._

"_It's alright. I kind of deserved it, I did hit you pretty hard," JJ mumbled against his chest. Will grinned._

"_If anyone asks, you scared the cripes outta me and I took a swing, not realisin' it was you. So you hit me back as payback," he explained. JJ laughed, slipping her hand onto his as they headed for the bar._

"_That's practically what happened anyway," she teased._

"_Yeah, but I soun' like a pussy if I took the first hit," Will joked. JJ burst out laughing, shaking her head at his alpha male personality._

xxx

Will was awoken in the early hours of the morning by JJ screaming and thrashing around. Moving quickly, he pinned her down to the mattress, lying over the top of her, knowing that weight helped her to calm down. JJ managed to focus on Will's face, a few tears seeping out from her eyes. Obviously, watching the news had dredged up repressed memories from the day of the attack.

"I couldn't...I couldn't get away, it...it was-"

"Ssh, it's alright," Will said gently. Moving back into a sitting position, he pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back to try and calm her down. JJ clutched to his shirt with her one hand, tears soaking the fabric as her heart raced. Will shifted so that he was kind of lying down. It didn't take long for JJ to drift off to sleep again, safe in his arms. Will soon followed, exhausted from concern over his girlfriend's emotional standing.

xxx

"_If the FBI's Behavioural Analysis Unit has ever visited your area, chances are you know who Agent Jennifer Jareau is. The media liaison turned profiler is well known by the police departments of many rural towns and big cities. Eight weeks ago, while on a vacation in Hawaii with her colleagues, Agent Jareau, known as JJ to her friends and family, was attacked by a 16 foot tiger shark. The shark took her left arm, and almost her life, but like Bethany Hamilton, who was attacked under similar circumstances in 2003, she didn't lose her determination.."_

Emily and Morgan sat curled up together on the couch. As soon as JJ had decided to go public with what had happened, every news station in the country had ran the story, with every tiny detail, about five times each.

"At least they don't make her sound like a snivelling victim," Emily said softly, cuddling closer to Morgan.

"That's the important part. That they get _that_ fact right. Because in light of what happened, JJ was hardly a victim, despite the difficulty she had coping"

xxx

JJ felt great as she stepped out of the elevator onto the BAU floor. Her first day back at work was looking to be alright.

After much contemplation over what to wear, she had chosen a white collared blouse, with sleeves long enough to cover her stump, but not so long that it was hanging uselessly by her side.

Because Strauss had chosen an efficient team to cover their workload, there wasn't much to do on that particular day, so JJ ended up hanging around in the bullpen with Emily, Morgan, and Spencer. It seemed as though Hotch or Strauss had warned all the agents that JJ would be returning somewhat...changed, and most had to have seen the news anyway, because JJ only earned a few second glances.

"JJ!" someone called. JJ turned around. Seeing Agent Addams standing in the door to the bullpen, she hopped off the edge of Spencer's desk and walked over to her.

"Sienna," she said warmly.

"JJ, I just wanted to let you know that you are amazing both in and out of work. And my oldest daughter, Jessica, really admires you"

"She does?" JJ asked, slightly surprised.

"Yeah, you've inspired her to not give up. She works a lot harder for what she wants now," Sienna replied.

"Wow...tell her I say hi," JJ laughed. Sienna grinned.

"I will"

xxx

JJ reached up, pulling a pre packed bag of apples from the top shelf. As she pulled them down, she bumped the railing on the front of the shelf, sending that, and a few individual apples raining down. Sighing, she swallowed back tears as she caught some of the stares and whispers that were being directed at her.

Moving into the first aisle, a young woman and her young daughter were walking in the opposite direction. As they passed JJ, the little girl spoke to her mother, and not quietly either.

"Mommy? What happened to that lady's arm?"

JJ fought off a grin as she heard the mother tell her daughter to be quiet. She'd had similar moments with Henry. While it was different to be on the receiving end of the curiosity, there was still humour in the situation, because little kids were curious, and had no shame in asking such questions.

The mother and daughter ended up passing JJ in every aisle. And in every aisle, the same thing happened.

"Why did that lady lose her arm?"

"Where did her arm go?"

"How does she do stuff with one arm?"

Every single time, the mother told her daughter to be quiet, or hissed at her to stop, to no avail.

In the last aisle, JJ stopped the mother, smiling warmly.

"You've done very well," she praised.

"I'm so sorry," the woman sighed. Meanwhile, the little girl was watching JJ with apprehension.

"It's alright. I know how you feel, I have a son who's almost three. He will ask any question that pops into his head," JJ replied, waving off the apology.

"But I bet it's a little different from your end now"

"I guess"

"I'm Jackie. This is Sarah," the mother said.

"Jennifer Jareau. JJ"

"Wait a minute, you're the one who went through the same thing as Bethany Hamilton. I saw it on the news, about a week ago"

"That's me"

"What happened to your arm?" Jackie's daughter piped up. Jackie cringed, while JJ laughed.

"Is it alright if I explain to her?" she asked Jackie, knowing that Henry had freaked out when she had explained to him what happened. Jackie nodded.

"Hi Sarah," JJ said, kneeling down to Sarah's height.

"Hi," Sarah said shyly.

"You want to know what happened to my arm?"

"Uh huh"

"Well, I was out surfing, and a shark bit off my arm," JJ said gently. Sarah's eyes widened.

"Did it hurt?" she asked. JJ shook her head.

"Not really"

xxx

"Hey. How was shoppin'?" Will asked, taking a few bags from JJ's hand as she carried them through the front door.

"It could've been better. I knocked stuff down, people stared, but I did make some new friends," JJ explained, lugging the bags up to the kitchen bench.

"Who?"

"A woman named Jackie, and her daughter, Sarah, who was very persistent on asking Jackie what happened to my arm, every time they passed me," JJ laughed. Henry came tearing through the lounge room, wrapping himself around JJ's legs.

"Mommy, you back!" he exclaimed. JJ grabbed a box out of the bag, and knelt down in front of him.

"I am, and look what I got you," she said gently, holding out the box.

"A'mal c'ackers!" Henry exclaimed excitedly, taking the box from JJ's hand and running back to the playroom. JJ grinned, standing up and turning around, only to find herself in Will's arms. They shared a gentle kiss, before Will's hand came to rest on JJ's slightly swollen belly.

"How's our bebe'?" he asked. JJ smiled.

"Safe, and growing," she replied, kissing him again.

**A/N: Wow, this one took forever. And I almost forgot that JJ's pregnant, because I'm running two stories at once. I'm a **_**fantastic**_** multitasker.**

**Please leave a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	13. Struggling Again In Pennsylvania

**A/N: Watching 'Cake Boss'. I really want to make a cake and eat it right now.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

JJ walked out into the Arrivals area, Will at her side with Henry on his hip. They had flown to Pennsylvania for the week to see JJ's parents, who hadn't seen their daughter in person since before the attack. Because of the combination of no cases and JJ's lessened workload due to her lost limb, Hotch had given her just over a week to see her parents, knowing that she needed to. It was a stormy day, with dark clouds, and heavy rain. But JJ's parents' expressions were far from mirroring the weather when she spotted them at the front of the waiting crowd.

"Mom!" JJ exclaimed, quickening her pace. Her mother threw her arms around her, her eyes shining with tears of happiness.

"Will, good to see you again," Mr Jareau said, shaking Will's hand.

"It's good to see you too, Peter," Will replied. Peter gave Henry, who was hiding his face in his father's neck, a small wave.

"Well, let's get you guys out of here," Michelle said, taking JJ's small bag, while her husband took the two larger bags.

In the car, Henry gazed out the window at the lightning and rain, while JJ's parents nattered back and forth with their daughter and her boyfriend.

"You're still so tanned, honey! And you've been back for a while!" Michelle exclaimed, making JJ laugh.

"I know, that's a bit of a mystery to me," JJ replied.

"I'd trade this for Hawaii any day," Peter said. JJ raised her eyebrows, looking out the window.

"Yep...Hawaii sounds good right now," she added.

xxx

While Michelle fussed over Henry, and Will dug through his bag for something, JJ found herself alone with her father. As much as Peter tried, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the stump of an arm that JJ sported.

"Dad?" JJ asked, noticing his silence. Peter looked up at his adult daughter, his eyes shining.

"Daddy...what's wrong?" JJ almost whispered, standing up and walking over to her father. Sitting down beside him on the couch, she gently placed her hand over his.

"Nothing, sweetheart. I'm just...so _thrilled_ that you're alive. I couldn't even begin to imagine what life would be like if that shark had killed you," Peter admitted. JJ reached up, putting her arm around him and hugging him tightly. Will came up to the archway, about to speak, but upon noticing the scene in front of him, decided to give JJ some time with her father.

Peter pulled away, realising that JJ's eyes were full of tears.

"Oh, now you're crying," he said. JJ half laughed as she wiped her eyes.

"I'm fine...I just thought about how lucky I am...to still be here," she choked out.

"You know, even when you were just a little baby, I knew you were special. I knew you'd continue to amaze us every day, and this is no different. I knew God was going to use you in big ways someday...I just didn't know when," Peter explained, gently wiping a tear away from his daughter's cheek with the pad of his thumb.

"He is the one who loves us the most, no matter what," JJ said softly, reciting from memory the prayer that her father had whispered in her ear every night when she was little.

"That's right. And He wouldn't have let you go, no matter what"

xxx

Will and Peter sat down to watch football, beers in hand, after Henry had gone to bed. JJ joined her mother, who was cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

"Can I ask why you're baking, at 8 in the evening?" JJ asked, raising her eyebrows as she put the self raising flour on the bench.

"Because I get bored, honey. You know, when I was your age, at this time, your father and I would be 'having fun'-"

"Ok, Mom, I could've lived my whole life without knowing that," JJ cut in. Michelle laughed, but to JJ, it seemed somewhat forced.

"Oh, come on, you know sex is part of nature-"

"Please, stop"

"Now you're being childish"

"I'm not the only one"

"But it is, I mean, surely you and Will-"

"Mom!"

"Alright, alright," Michelle laughed. JJ couldn't help but laugh as well, as she pulled the eggs out of the fridge. Michelle measured out the flour, and sifted it into a bowl.

"Jen, could you put two eggs in this bowl, and just partly blend the yolk and whites?" she asked, sounding slightly strained, as though something was bothering her. JJ nodded, prising the carton open and retrieving two eggs. With caution, she knocked one against the edge of the bench.

"Could you go a little faster?"

"Give me a break, I only have one hand," JJ shot back, making Michelle frown.

"Do you want some help then?"

"No, I can do it," JJ replied, right as the egg slipped from her hand and smashed on the floor. "Shit"

"Language, Jen," Michelle scolded. JJ grabbed the cloth from the sink and quickly cleaned up the mess she'd made. As she reached for another egg, her mother stopped her.

"Why...don't you finish sifting? I'll deal with the eggs," Michelle suggested gently. JJ sighed. Walking to the other end of the bench, she took the sieve in her hand and began to sift the flour.

"You know, I'm not useless because I have one arm," she said simply. Michelle stopped what she was doing.

"I never said that"

"You implied it"

"Jennifer-"

"Forget it," JJ said, not wanting to argue. Dumping the sieve in the bowl, she left the kitchen. Heading for the guest bedroom where she and Will were staying, she grabbed her toiletries and pyjamas, and headed for a shower.

xxx

JJ let the hot water wash away all her frustration, soaking her skin. Turning off the tap, she stepped out of the shower onto the bath mat, and grabbed one of the fluffy towels her mom had put out for them to use when they arrived. As the steam on the mirror dried up, JJ caught a glimpse of her reflection. Probably the first time she'd taken a proper look at herself in the mirror since the dressing came off her arm.

She looked slightly thinner than before the attack. Was that worry? Nerves? Or self consciousness?

Her skin was a little pale, but she _was_ exhausted.

But the one thing that made her breath catch in her throat. No question about it.

Her stump. About three inches long, and useless, with that long, ugly red scar running across it. She could move what little of it she had left, but it didn't help her with anything. Still a little swollen around the scar, JJ hadn't actually taken any notice of how different she looked. Especially since she hadn't seen herself properly in a full length mirror since that day in Dr Jackson's office.

There was another scar, one that started just above her right breast, where the inner side of her arm joined her body, and ran underneath her arm. Where the doctors had taken skin to help close her other arm. To stop the bleeding. To save her life.

As she tugged her pyjamas on, JJ felt tears of sadness rising up inside her. Part of her wished she still had her old life, her old body.

"JJ?" Will's voice called. JJ unlocked the door, allowing him in. Will stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"Are you alright? I thought I heard you cryin'," he said, concern etched on his face.

"I'm ok...just a little shaken, I think"

"Why's that?"

"I saw myself...properly...in the mirror"

"Oh, JJ," Will said softly, wrapping his arms around her. JJ leaned against him, breathing deeply.

"I'm sorry"

"What on earth for?"

"I keep...bouncing back and forth. I seem alright, then I turn all emotional and upset on you"

Will laughed.

"It's ok. I completely understand, cher. No-one's expectin' you to be all held together. Everyone's allowed to fall apart sometimes"

**A/N: Churning out chapters of my neglected stories before I return to Compass.**

**Please drop me a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	14. Eaten Alive

**A/N: Mahalo nui ia Ke Ali`i wahine. `O Lili` ulani `O ka Wo hi ku. Ka pipio mai o ke anuenue Na waiho `o- lu`u a halikeole`e.**

**I can sing that song (He Mele No Lilo) fluently, as well as Bethany's Wave, Paddle Battle, Main Titles (from "Soul Surfer"), and Shark Attack. Have a listen to them if you want. If you can't find any, let me know, and I'll upload them to YouTube. But I can't speak Hawaiian fluently. I can say a prayer in Hawaiian. But I can't speak it. But I want to learn.**

**Email: I know, I know, that show name is horrible! But there is actually a program, in Australia, that shows amazing shark survival stories, and it is called Top Five Eaten Alive. I just took off the Top Five part to make it into an ongoing series.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Yawning, JJ walked out into the kitchen. Upon finding it empty, she turned, and went into the front lounge room, where her father was sitting watching the 7:00am news.

"Morning, Jen. Sleep well?" Peter asked as she sat down beside him.

"To some degree," JJ groaned. Peter chuckled.

"The guest bed's not very comfortable, is it?" he asked knowingly, laughing when JJ shook her head.

"Yet somehow, Will sleeps like a log," she explained, making Peter laugh again. JJ shuffled closer, resting her head on her father's shoulder. Peter put his arm around JJ's shoulders.

"We've missed you out here, honey. It's been a long time since you were last here. And when you told us what happened to you, we couldn't believe how close we'd come to losing you," he told her. JJ sighed.

"I know. I'm sorry"

"But we do understand that your job is demanding"

At that moment, Henry shuffled into the room, yawning, and rubbing his sleepy little eyes. JJ sat up, holding her arm out for him to climb into her lap.

"Hey little man," she said as he climbed up and snuggled against her chest. "Where's Daddy?"

"Daddy 'leeping. 'nore loud," Henry mumbled, making JJ and Peter laugh.

xxx

"There was something Will and I wanted to tell you," JJ said as they sat at the dining table for dinner.

"Yeah? What was that, honey?" Michelle asked. JJ smiled as Will took her hand and squeezed it.

"Well...sometime in June...we're expecting another baby"

Michelle let out a cry of joy, leaping out of her chair and pulling JJ into a tight hug. Peter shook Will's hand, and then pulled Henry into his lap.

"So, you're getting a little brother or sister?" he asked. Henry grinned.

"Yep," he replied, popping the 'p'. Will and JJ laughed; it was a habit he'd picked up from none other than his mommy. About three weeks before they went to Hawaii, JJ had been popping the 'p' every time she spoke, just to drive Will crazy. It had worked, and it had burned into Henry.

"Oh, Jen, that's fantastic! I'm so happy for you!" Michelle gushed, hugging her daughter again. JJ smiled, putting her arm around her Mom.

"Thanks, Mom," she said softly.

xxx

"Can we get on a Hawaii bound flight when we land?" JJ asked. They were flying home from Pennsylvania, unluckily, in bad weather again. Will laughed, shaking his head.

"Unless you wanna get your head ripped off by the gate attendant for not havin' a ticket, then no," he replied. JJ shrugged.

"It would go perfectly with my missing arm," she joked. Will laughed again, reaching forward and grabbing the newspaper from the seat pocket. JJ flipped open her laptop, hooking into the onboard Wi-Fi, and opening her email. The first one that caught her attention was one from Daniel.

_Hi JJ,_

_You've done brilliantly with the couple of interviews that you've done. However, they were only small time shows, not high ratings. You said to me when I first met you in person that you wanted to take a leaf out of Bethany's book, and go public with your story, to inspire, to share. Well, I think you've got your chance here._

_There's a new show starting in a few weeks time. It's going to air here in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and much of South East Asia. It's called 'Eaten Alive' (I know it's a horrible name, trust me, I voiced that opinion when they contacted me). Each episode will be an hour long, and will contain a re-enactment one of the many amazing shark attack survival stories. The story will be told by the survivor themselves, as well as narration by the show host. They want you to be the subject of their premiere episode._

_I think it's a fantastic opportunity to share your story. Bethany told me to tell you that she thinks it's great as well, as she has already agreed to be the subject of Episode 2. However, they will understand if you don't want to._

_What do you say?_

_-Daniel_

"Will, read this," JJ said, turning the laptop so he could read it. Will quickly scanned the email, his eyebrows getting quite high.

"He's right on two counts. One, that's a fantastic opportunity, and I think you should do it. Two, that _is_ a horrible name," he said. JJ laughed, turning the laptop back to face her.

"You know, I think I'll do it. If Bethany thinks it's a good idea, then it must be, because she has excellent judgement. Unlike myself"

Will leaned closer, muttering quietly in her ear.

"You had fantastic judgement the night Mr 'Popper' over here was created," he said seductively. JJ felt a hot blush creep up her cheeks as the memory of Henry's conception came back to mind. Will grinned, turning back to his newspaper. JJ clicked 'Reply', and quickly typed an answer to Daniel.

_Hey Daniel,_

_Yeah, I'll do it. It sounds like a good idea, despite that god awful name. :D_

_-JJ_

xxx  
><em><strong>5 Weeks Later (November)<strong>_

Hotch sat on the couch, Jessica beside him. They had both convinced Jack to go to bed, and were now anxiously waiting for the first episode of _Eaten Alive_. Hotch didn't really want to see the actual attack, but was intrigued to know what had gone through JJ's mind at the time, as was Jessica.

Emily cuddled into Morgan's side, reluctant, but like Hotch and Jessica, also intrigued. Morgan knew the episode was going to bring up memories that he had suppressed, but wanted to see it from JJ's point of view.

Rossi took a deep breath as the first program ended, and the rating warning for _Eaten Alive_ came up on the screen.

Will sat back against the armrest of the couch, JJ leaning against his chest. Henry was sound asleep in his bed, away from what they were about to relive.

"_July 26, 2011. Oahu, Hawaii"_

The opening scene was a digital animation of a far away camera zooming in on Hawaii, and then a cross appearing on the location of where they were.

"_The FBI's Behavioural Analysis Unit, known well to many cities and towns throughout the USA, have been granted a much needed, all expenses paid vacation to Hawaii. On the morning of July 26, Jennifer Jareau, known as JJ to many, leaves her partner and son at the hotel with two of her colleagues, and heads out for an early morning surf at Ku'aihelani Beach with Emily Prentiss and Derek Morgan. Also coming along are the BAU's Unit Chief, Aaron Hotchner, and legendary profiler, David Rossi"_

JJ appeared on the screen, her left side not fully visible.

"We were all really relaxed, and just anxious to get in the water. Emily had only been surfing for a few days, and she was just excited to get out there and practise. At that time, I didn't really have a gut feeling, like a lot of people said they experience before something bad. I remember thinking 'There's no lifeguards, we're out in the middle of nowhere, this could be potentially dangerous', but I pushed that thought aside as soon as I saw the water"

A re-enactment began, with voiceover from the narrator. Three people, who looked surprisingly alike to JJ, Emily, and Morgan, began paddling out to where big waves were breaking a way off shore.

"_JJ, Emily, and Derek paddled out a far distance from the shore, just over a quarter mile. It didn't seem like anything could go wrong for them"_

"The water was dark blue, and I remember thinking it was a really nice colour. We'd caught a few decent waves, and the sun was just starting to heat up, even though it was still kind of weak. Derek was still surfing, while Emily and I were resting on our surfboards. My left arm was dangling in the water"

The screen changed back to the re-enactment, with the two women resting on their surfboards. Then it switched to an underwater camera that was closing in on JJ's double's left hand.

"_What JJ and Emily didn't know was that underneath them, in that dark blue water, lurked a creature that had the physical strength to change JJ's life in a split second. They had only been out there for just under an hour. Derek, who was surfing about 50 to 60 yards away, heard a yell, and then Emily screaming"_

"It happened really quickly. Emily had said to me, just seconds before, 'Don't go to sleep, JJ', because I was really still, and completely lying down on my board. As soon as I had replied, I felt this heavy pressure, right below my shoulder. Then there was a sharp tug, and that was when I yelled out. When I say it like that, it sounds like it took time for the shark to attack me. But in reality, it was barely a split second. I didn't yell out because it hurt. I think I yelled because I wanted to alert the others that I was in trouble, but I didn't really need to"

"_The shark had bitten JJ's arm off almost to the shoulder. Derek raced from where he was to the two women, immediately taking control of the situation"_

"Derek pushed me by the tail of my board. I was just paddling crazily with my remaining arm. I remember looking down at my left side, and my arm was gone, and I guess it freaked me out. There was a massive chunk missing from the left side of my board, and the water was bright red with my blood. The whole time, I was just thinking 'Get to the beach. You have to get to the beach'"

"_With luck, a wave washed the three up onto the reef. Derek told Emily to get to the beach, and get Aaron to call 911. Meanwhile, he took off his rash guard and tied it tightly around the stub of JJ's arm, before pulling her back into the water to get her to the beach._

_It is said that while she lost a lot of blood, JJ had a major part in saving her own life. She wasn't as calm as Bethany Hamilton had been in 2003, but she was calm enough to keep her heartbeat down, and to keep her blood from draining out too quickly"_

"I don't really remember much from what happened on the beach. I think I may have passed out from blood loss just as Derek pulled me onto the sand. The last thing I remember before passing out is thinking 'I'm going to die'. The next thing I remember is being carried back to the truck on Derek's surfboard. Derek drove as fast as he dared, but he was also being careful. He didn't want to upset the back of the truck anymore than he had to. Meanwhile, I'm just lying there, silently praying that I was going to be ok, praying to God to keep me alive, at least until I saw my boyfriend, Will, and my son, Henry, again. I remember slipping my hand into Aaron's. I was terrified; I honestly thought I was going to die"

The re-enactment returned to the screen, with 'JJ' lying on a surfboard, a soggy, blood soaked rash guard around her arm, and 'Aaron' and 'Emily' trying to slow the blood flow and keep her calm.

"_The ambulance met them halfway, and made the rest of the trip to the hospital, sirens and lights blaring the entire way. Will, Henry, and JJ's two colleagues who'd stayed behind, Spencer Reid and Penelope Garcia, met the rest of the group at the hospital, in complete shock when they saw the condition that JJ was in"_

Will appeared on the screen, making JJ smile. He looked very handsome.

"Spencer had told me that JJ had been attacked by a shark, but I wasn't expectin' it to be as bad as it was. I was out o' the car before it had even stopped movin', and when they pulled JJ out o' the ambulance, my heart broke. Her arm was gone, there was blood everywhere. And while I was tellin' her 'You're goin' to be fine, I'm right here, you're goin' to be ok', I was thinkin' inside 'No-one can survive this'. I'd completely forgotten that Bethany Hamilton _did_ survive that in 2003"

"_Doctors doubted JJ's survival by the time she arrived at the hospital. She lost nearly 70 percent of her blood, putting her in a graver situation than Bethany eight years earlier. However, they vowed to do everything in their power to save her life. The surgery to save her was a long, and difficult. Instead of a clean cut, the bite had been a ragged tear, meaning that while JJ had been brought in with five inches of her arm remaining, she was only going to be left with three"_

"They had to take off two inches of what was left, because the lower part was already infected from the shark's mouth, and they had to clean it up so it would be easier to close off"

xxx

Towards the end of the program, even though they weren't in the same vicinity as each other, Will, and the rest of the team were exceptionally proud of JJ for going through with the retelling of her story, knowing it had to have been difficult.

"So, my arm is pretty much useless to me today, but I do feel some gratitude for what I've been through. I try not to take anything for granted anymore, and I make the most of what happens each day, because you never know what's going to happen tomorrow"

**A/N: Long chapter, and yes, the program was weird, but that was how the one I just watched was structured. So, hope you liked it!**

**Please leave a review? And I'll get JJ and Daniel to sue Eaten Alive for the god awful name.**

**SQ215 xxx**


	15. Christmas In Hawaii

**A/N: I'm going to a Sweet 16 as a surfer, because the theme is 'Something starting with S'. I'm making a cardboard surfboard and everything.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Before the team knew it, their three weeks Christmas vacation was upon them, and JJ was nearly three months along. The last two cases they had been on were hectic to say the least. They were the first cases on which JJ had tagged along, going to Boston, and then San Diego. As if the cases hadn't been difficult enough, JJ was becoming quite the recognisable figure in all parts of the United States, due to the numerous interviews she had done, and the episode of _Eaten Alive_. Pictures were taken by sneaky cameramen, police departments were more interested in interrogating her than solving the case, and every time she left the police department, people stopped her in the street, as well as people being questioned asking her the questions instead. Morgan had taken to being somewhat of a personal bodyguard, stepping in when it got too intense, which JJ didn't mind in the least.

The Director had tried to give them a shorter break, because they had had the trip to Hawaii, but Strauss, being unusually nice, had fought for them to have the full three weeks, seeing as 1) after everything they had been through since July, they definitely deserved another break before starting afresh in the New Year and 2) JJ had already informed the Director and Strauss that she was pregnant, and she had definitely proved that she deserved the time off, due to the fact that she hadn't lowered the amount of effort she put in since returning to work.

"Where do you wanna go, cher?" Will asked.

"Hawaii!" JJ exclaimed. Will laughed, and was surprised when Henry chimed in.

"Yeah! We go 'whyee!" he cried. JJ pulled him into her lap, and gave Will the puppy face, only to have Henry do the same. Will grinned, shaking his head.

"Looks like I'm outnumbered. Hawaii it is," he said. Henry jumped off JJ's lap, yelling happily, while JJ threw her arm around Will's neck and kissed him deeply.

"Ew!" Henry screeched, covering his eyes. JJ grinned, kissing Will again briefly.

"Thank you," she whispered, looking into his eyes. God, his eyes made her weak at the knees.

"Anythin' for you"

xxx

"So, are you jetting off anywhere for Christmas, JJ?" Morgan asked as he tore a piece of blank paper into confetti. Spencer was spinning in circles in his chair, while Emily was preparing ammo to fight back at Morgan.

"Hawaii," JJ grinned. Morgan and Emily laughed, while Spencer continued to spin.

"Funny. We're headed there as well. Emily wants more surfing lessons," Morgan explained. JJ laughed, while Emily just shrugged.

"Same hotel?" JJ asked. Morgan nodded.

"Looks like we'll be seeing each other there, then," JJ replied with a laugh.

xxx

"San'a go find us in 'whyee?" Henry asked as they stepped off the plane. He was holding JJ's hand tightly, his little _Ben 10_ backpack bouncing on his back.

"He sure is, sweetie. He knows where you are all the time," JJ explained. Henry nodded, satisfied. In actuality, JJ and Will had wrestled each of Henry's presents into Will's suitcase, wrapping them in Will's clothes so that they wouldn't break on the plane. The largest present, a new bike, had been left at home to surprise Henry when they returned to DC.

"Let's see how long it takes before you get a camera in your face," Will muttered.

"Already timing," JJ joked.

Surprisingly, they got all the way to the hotel with not a single sign of a camera. This time, it was late at night when they arrived at the hotel. Henry fell asleep straight away, while Will decided to take a shower. Surprising JJ, he pulled her into the bathroom with him.

"This is the only place we can fool around, because if we were on the bed, and Henry woke up...that would be hard to explain," Will said. JJ giggled, allowing him to pull her in for a deep kiss. Fumbling behind him, Will managed to turn the shower on, and adjust the heat with one hand, while holding JJ close with his other hand. Somehow, very quickly, they stripped each other of their clothes. JJ was too engrossed in Will to notice that he had led her into the shower, and had her pressed against the cool tiled wall. They broke apart for air, flushed and excited.

"I think," JJ started, kissing him briefly between her words "that me...being pregnant...has made me...perpetually...horny"

Will smiled, kissing her lips again, gently this time, as they were already slightly puffy from before.

"Well then...I might have to get you pregnant more often," he said softly.

JJ had never thought shower sex could be as good as it was. But after a long day of waiting in airports, and sitting for nine hours on a plane, an endorphin hit from sex was just what they both needed.

xxx

JJ walked onto the beach, her new surfboard under her arm. She, Will, and Henry were meeting Emily and Morgan on the beach for a surf, before going out for lunch. She looked to her right, and saw them walking towards her. Henry raced ahead, throwing his arms around Morgan's leg.

"Hi Untle Dewek!" he exclaimed excitedly. Morgan looked down, pretending to be utterly shocked that a three year old was hanging off his lower leg.

"Hey squirt! Whatcha doin'?" he asked, ruffling Henry's hair. Henry let go of Morgan's leg, and instead, slipped his hand into his 'uncle's' free hand.

"Waiting for you and Emmy, so Mommy go surf!" Henry explained as they rejoined his parents.

"Is that so?" Morgan asked, looking down at his friends' son. Henry looked back up, his eyes wide as he nodded. Henry let go of Morgan, running to Will, who lifted him up onto his hip, tickling him 'accidentally'. Henry squealed, writhing in his father's grip.

"Woah girl, nice board," Morgan said, seeing the brand new surfboard under JJ's arm. JJ grinned, turning slightly so he could see it properly. The board was a dark navy blue, with bright, neon blue flowers that looked like the sky. Of course, with a handle rigged on the top end.

"Early Christmas present," JJ explained.

"Try _only_ Christmas present," Will muttered as he walked past her, leading Henry to the water's edge. Morgan and Emily laughed, turning and following Will down to the water, JJ right behind them.

xxx

JJ lay, half asleep, on Will's chest, hearing the barely audible sound of his heart beating. Will was softly stroking her hair. The only sound in the room was Henry sighing in his sleep every now and then. JJ lifted her head slightly, moving up Will's body so she could look into his eyes.

"Aloha au ia`oe," she said softly, smiling as she said it. Will looked at her, confused. It must have been evident on his face, because JJ spoke again.

"_I love you_"

**A/N: Thanks for reading another chapter! I'm going to start incorporating Hawaiian music, and sayings into the story to give it an authentic Hawaiian feel. And trust me, this Hawaii trip is not going to be a repeat (in terms of the touchy feely stuff) of the last trip. **

**INTERESTED?: Are you interested in what JJ's surfboard looks like? Check out my profile. There is a link there to a picture of a surfboard that I created in PhotoShop. **

**Please review or PM with what you think of the board.**** When I re-download PS, I'm going to create boards for Morgan and Emily as well, so opinions are very helpful.**

**SQ215 xxx**


	16. Engaged in Competition

**A/N: I had a **_**really**_** good idea for Soul Surfer last night when I was lying in bed, and now that I've woken up, for the life of me, I can't remember what it is! It's going to drive me nuts forever.**

**I went to the beach, and got absolutely fried. To say it's a painful sunburn is the understatement of the year. I feel all hot and horrible, my skin is bright red, and it's quite uncomfortable. Slathering on the Aloe Vera gel only does so much. Maybe another freezing cold shower before I go to sleep.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Each room in the hotel had a Christmas tree in the corner, decorations and all. Henry had fallen asleep curled up in JJ's lap, so JJ was making sure he stayed asleep, while Will quickly put each of Henry's presents under the tree.

Will was moving one of the larger, noisier presents when Henry stirred.

"Mommy?" he mumbled. Will froze, fighting back the urge to laugh, as was JJ.

"Yeah?" JJ said softly.

"San'a...to 'whyee," Henry said quietly, his eyes still half closed.

"Santa's not going to come unless you go back to sleep," JJ told the little boy. In her mind, she was thinking ''Santa' is standing across from me, and is about to get caught in the act'

"Ok...," Henry sighed, his breathing slowing again as he drifted back to sleep. Will let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding, and continued to shift the presents from the suitcase to the tree.

xxx

"Mommy! Daddy! Get up! San'a came! Get up! Mommy, get up!" Henry yelled, leaping onto JJ and Will's bed. He pulled on JJ's arm, trying to get her to get up. JJ was obviously pretending to be asleep, something she did every year, and on various other occasions, and always got Henry to do the funniest things.

"Mommy! Get up now!" Henry whined. Will reached across and tickled JJ's side, making her scream and writhe as she tried to get away. Henry giggled, moving up and sitting on JJ's tummy. Will sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"You get up, Mommy?" Henry asked.

"I can't," JJ replied. Henry pouted.

"Why not?" he asked. JJ grinned.

"You're sitting on me," she explained.

"Oopsy," Henry giggled, hopping off the bed altogether, and running over to the tree. JJ stood up, swaying slightly as her body adjusted to being upright again. Sliding her hand into Will's, they walked to the other end of the hotel room, watching as Henry took in the magic of Christmas, even away from home.

xxx

Christmas night turned out to be a lot more fun than JJ and Will had expected. After JJ and Emily went for an early evening surf (making sure the lifeguards were still on duty), while Will and Henry buried Morgan in the sand, they freshened up, and went to a beachside restaurant that was open for Christmas dinner.

As they sat around after their meal, laughing and talking, while Henry drew on napkins with crayons that the waitress had given him, Will took JJ's hand, and gently led her down to the water's edge. The water was shimmering orange as the sun set below the horizon. Will gently cupped JJ's cheek in his hand, making her smile.

"I couldn't think o' the right time to ask," he said softly. JJ frowned slightly, confused.

"JJ...I love you more than life itself. And I'd love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life makin' you happy," Will continued, reaching into his pocket. Back up at the table, Emily fought off the urge to squeal like Garcia would as she nudged Morgan's side. Henry was too absorbed in his napkin drawing to notice anything.

JJ gasped as Will opened a small ring box to reveal a gorgeous diamond ring.

"Will you marry me?" Will asked softly, looking up into JJ's eyes to find them filled with tears.

"Will...," she whispered tearfully, gesturing to her stump. Will smiled warmly, taking the ring between his fingers.

"I know...that's why I did this," he said gently, lifting the ring from the box. JJ burst into tears as he revealed that the ring was attached to a silver chain.

"Oh my god!" Emily gushed quietly as she saw what they were doing. However, Morgan looked confused.

"Why on a chain? Why not just on her hand?" he asked. Emily whacked his shoulder.

"Silly, you know nothing! When you wear a wedding ring on your right hand, it indicates that your spouse has passed on!" she explained quickly. Morgan held his hands up in surrender.

"Yes, yes, yes!" JJ said, pulling Will in for a deep kiss as the sun dipped below the horizon.

xxx

After making sure Henry was sound asleep in his room (family rooms came with a main room, that had a king bed, and another little room off to the side for children), JJ and Will commemorated their first night as an engaged couple.

JJ woke up in the morning, wearing Will's baggy old T-shirt, resting against his chest. Will, being his good natured teasing self, was playing with the loose sleeve on the shirt. JJ reached forward and poked him in the chest with the end of her stump.

"Hey!" Will laughed as she rolled over, and got out of bed. "I had no idea you could move your stump, cher!"

"Oh, I can move a lot more than that," JJ teased, doing a quick little bop and shaking her ass. Will fell back into the pillows, laughing, as JJ grinned and headed into the bathroom for a shower.

xxx

"JJ!" someone called out. JJ looked up from where she was entertaining Henry in the sand, and immediately jumped up. Bethany ran up, throwing her arm around JJ, who did the same to Bethany.

"Hey! How have you been?" JJ asked as they sat down on JJ's towel.

"I've been really good. I'm here for a small time surf competition, then just hanging with some friends before I go back to Kauai. How about you?"

"Christmas in Hawaii. In my opinion, the best kind of Christmas," JJ laughed. Bethany grinned, nodding.

"Couldn't agree more"

"So, how are you ranked at the moment?"

"Pretty high, I hope. Alana and I, not bragging or anything, are top ranked, so that's good, but I like my little life in Kauai"

"I like my hectic life in DC. Working for the FBI is like the opposite of Kauai"

"Yeah, but I have heard that you are brilliant at what you do, so you must like your job"

"I don't know if 'like' is the right term. I like the job, but I can't really explain why. It's a horrible job, with all the things we see, but I think I like that we can help people in big ways"

"Hey, I was thinking about something...I don't know what you're going to think of it...but I really think you should compete"

JJ raised her eyebrows, more than a little surprised at Bethany's suggestion.

"You think so?"

xxx

JJ pushed down with the handle, ducking underneath the wave. But the current under the surface was strong, and literally ripped JJ's board from her hand, throwing her into the swirling undercurrents. Just as JJ managed to orient herself with the surface, her board came back, slamming into her ribs, and knocking all the wind out of her lungs. Thankfully, someone reached down at that moment, and pulled her up. As she surfaced, she realised it was Morgan.

"You ok, blondie?" he asked. JJ shook her head as she climbed back onto her board and began paddling to the beach. Breathing was difficult, and her ribs were in a lot of pain.

As she dragged her board onto the beach, Will and Emily noticed that she didn't look so good.

"Are you alright, JJ?" Will drawled, putting his arm around her.

"I think I'm going to be sick," JJ managed to say, heading back up the trail. Thankfully, it was a very secluded beach, meaning she wasn't about to give anyone an eyeful.

Morgan came up behind Emily, snaking his arms around her waist. Emily sighed, leaning back into his strong arms. They stood like that in silence for a few minutes, before Morgan spoke.

"Is JJ alright?" he asked softly. Emily shrugged. They looked up to see JJ and Will returning to the beach. JJ already had large bruises forming on her ribs from where her board had hit her, and she looked like she was having a little trouble breathing.

With only a few words exchanged, they gathered up their belongings, and left the beach.

xxx

Bethany, being her humble self, had invited them over for New Year's Eve lunch and dinner, which was that same day. Everyone, including Tom, Cheri, Noah, and Timmy, were all crashed around the Hamilton's lounge room, talking and laughing. Bethany had given JJ an ice pack, and let her lie on the couch, as her ribs were a lot more painful than they looked to be.

"So, we hear you had a bit of an encounter with your board," Tom said. JJ grinned.

"I got dragged down when I tried to duck dive, and my board went in the opposite direction. I was too focused on getting to the surface, and I didn't notice when the current brought my board back at top speed...straight into my ribs," she explained, laughing a little. The others laughed with her.

"Once when I was little, I was playing in the shorebreak, and got slammed by my board. I had to stay out of the water for a few days, I was one big bruise!" Bethany added.

"She was literally black and blue. It hurt for her to get out of bed," Cheri told them.

Bethany treated them to pesto pasta for dinner, followed by ice-cream and papaya (Bethany's guilty pleasure), before they all sat on the beach to watch the fireworks being launched further up the coast.

**A/N: Yes, it took forever. I would've uploaded it last night, but I was running back and forth from the Internet cable all night, I didn't want to add one more trip to it.**

**Please read and review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	17. Almost There

**A/N: So, not much to report. Oh yeah...updates on ALL of my stories will slow dramatically in the coming weeks, as I am entering Year 11 on February 1. I'm taking TEE English, TEE Physics, TEE, Aviation, TEE Maths, TEE Cooking, and Non-TEE Art, therefore I will have large amounts of homework, study, and assignments to complete. I promise I will update whenever I can find the time to write! I may have to drop two dance classes to fit all my study in, so that may not be often.**

**Thank you for being amazing readers, all of you, and even if I stop updates for an amount of time, I won't ever just drop this, because writing is my guilty pleasure.**

**As for a Soul Surfer update, I plan on taking to somewhere between 30-40 chapters (if I can, that is), but no more than 50, and no less than 20 (if I give myself large boundaries, I am more likely to succeed in my goal, and make all parties happy :D). And, if I haven't mentioned this before, and for those who are hooked on this story, there is a DEFINITE sequel to this. Maybe a third, I'm not sure. And there will be various one shots, as well as some short multi chapter fics, to tie into the story. I'll be sure to let you know when they are up, and in what order to read them.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

JJ shivered as the cool gel was spread across her growing belly. The last 18 weeks had flown past, meaning JJ was almost eight months along, and the weather was getting warmer as May approached.

"Alright...the baby seems to be just fine...everything looks good so far," Dr Reynolds told them as she moved the transducer around. She checked the baby over once more before turning to the expectant couple.

"Did you want to find out the sex?"she asked. JJ nodded, smiling. Dr Reynolds moved the transducer further around JJ's belly, stopping when she reached the area she was looking for.

"Looks like you guys are having a little girl," she beamed.

"Yay!" JJ said excitedly, throwing her arm around Will's neck. Dr Reynolds laughed, as did Will. Grabbing a towel, she wiped the gel off of JJ's belly, and turned off the monitor.

"I'll go get the pictures. I'll be right back," she said warmly, exiting the room. JJ swung around so she was sitting on the edge of the bed. Will stepped up so his thighs were pressed against her knees, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a gentle, chaste kiss to her lips, right as Dr Reynolds came back.

"Hmm, am I interrupting anything?" she asked. JJ giggled.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. Dr Reynolds waved it off, sliding the photos into an envelope.

"It's ok. I've come back a few times and found couples trying to give their baby a twin, so that's nothing," she explained. Will and JJ laughed as she handed them the envelope.

xxx

"I'm so fat!" JJ wailed from the bathroom. Will dropped his head to the counter with a loud thud, accompanied by a groan.

"Here we go again," he mumbled. Emily bit her lip to try and avoid laughing. JJ came out into the kitchen area, where Will and Emily were sitting, her eyes filled with tears.

"JJ, I'm gonna destroy those scales, no question 'bout it," Will said, lifting his head.

"Even my stump is fat!" JJ added, pulling her sleeve up. Emily frowned, while Will groaned again.

"Jayje, it looks exactly like it did when you left the hospital in Hawaii," she reasoned.

"It was all swollen and fat when I left the hospital!" JJ cried. Emily swore at herself for even bringing it up.

"You continue like this every day, and I swear to God, I will shoot myself before that baby gets here," Will said seriously.

"But I'm huge!"

"You're pregnant, JJ," Will sighed. Tears spilled over JJ's lashes.

"So you _do_ think I'm fat!" she exclaimed, bursting into full blown tears.

"No, JJ-"

He was cut off as JJ turned around, walking to their bedroom, and slamming the door.

"Hmm," Emily half laughed. Will shot her a look, which only made her laugh harder.

"Her friggin' hormones are makin' me wanna hang myself at the momen'," he said, grinning.

"I think you need to go talk her out of her mood," Emily suggested, clapping his shoulder.

"That's a death wish if I ever saw one...wanna come with?" he asked, shooting her a puppy look.

"Sorry buddy. This one's yours," Emily said seriously, sliding off the counter stool and heading for the front door. Will stood in the archway, giving her a small wave.

"If you don' get a text from me in the next hour...assume one or both of us are dead," he replied just as seriously. Emily laughed as she left the house, waving to Will.

Will turned, checking on Henry (who was fixated on his LEGO Ninjago movie), before softly knocking on the bedroom door, and entering the room. JJ was sitting on their bed, shuffling through some old photos. Padding across the carpet, Will climbed up beside her, putting his left arm around her.

"I know you don' feel your best right now...but I promise you, I think you're so beautiful, no matter what," he murmured in her ear.

"But I'm huge," JJ said tearfully, leaning into him.

"You're havin' a _baby_, JJ. And I'm also fairly certain we had a very similar conversation when you were pregnan' with Henry," Will said gently. Bringing his right hand up, he gently put it on the back of JJ's neck, pulling her close. JJ closed her eyes, leaning into his touch and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm still huge," she mumbled, grinning. Will chuckled.

"Well, if I know you at all, as soon as our lil' girl is born, you'll get right back into shape, and get back on your board," he said reassuringly. JJ didn't reply, just stayed where she was, enjoying the feeling of being wrapped in Will's arms.

"What are you lookin' at, cher?" he asked. JJ straightened up, grabbing the pile of photos.

"Just some old photos I found," she told him, setting them down in front of him. Will flicked through the photos, taking in old soccer pictures, family photos, birthdays, the day Henry was born, and numerous other events. He froze when he found a photo that looked oddly familiar. The date stamp at the bottom read 25/07/2011.

"What is it?" JJ asked, looking over his shoulder at the photo. Sadness flooded her when she realised what had made him stop. The photo had been taken on one of their trips to the beach, the day before the attack. Garcia and Morgan had waded into the water to take pictures while Emily and JJ surfed. That particular photo had been captured just as JJ snapped off the lip. She was leaning forwards, obviously turning back to the bottom of the wave. Her left arm was up, keeping her balanced, while her right hand was gesturing to the camera, obscured by spray from the wave.

The photo underneath that one was a picture of JJ dropping into a large dumper wave. Her hands were gripping the rails. She was frozen in what resembled a runner's start position. The wave was curling beside her.

"It feels like it was such a long time ago that I had two arms," JJ said finally. Will looked up at her, the knot in his stomach loosening somewhat when he saw that she was smiling.

"Doesn' it make you sad or angry?" he asked.

"Sometimes. But I figure, I can't change what happened, why dwell on it, or react to it?"

xxx

"So, I found this video on my camera, and it made me laugh, so I wanted to share it with all of you," Garcia rambled, making everyone sit around her very colourful lounge room.

"What was it?" Morgan called out.

"Remember the day before...well...-"

"My attack," JJ teased slowly, grinning as she motioned for Garcia to continue.

"Yeah, that. Anyway, remember how Emily was still learning, and there were lots of really big waves? And JJ kept falling off her board?" Garcia asked. Everyone laughed as they remembered the eventful afternoon in the surf. JJ blushed, pretending to hide from the shame.

"Well, I was filming the whole thing, so here you go. Let's watch it," she said, turning on her TV. The video immediately began to play.

_JJ dropped into a huge dumper wave, only to have it break on top of her, slamming her down onto the sandbar._

"_Oh, that's gotta hurt," came Rossi's voice from behind the camera. JJ appeared above the foamy water, climbing back onto her board. Emily paddled up alongside her as a large wave approached, Morgan following. The three of them duck dived underneath the wave as it broke, churning up the sand below._

_JJ turned, paddling quickly into an approaching wave. Making the drop successfully, she turned off the bottom and carved the lip of the wave. Turning off the bottom again, she went to repeat the action. Only this time, the nose of the board dipped forward, causing the wave to hit JJ's legs, sweeping her off her board easily._

"_Ohh, it's getting big out there," came Hotch's voice._

"I remember what happened next," Emily said. JJ looked at her, both of them starting to laugh.

_Emily dropped into another wave, not noticing that JJ had dropped into the same wave further along. As she turned, she realised JJ was headed towards her. In a panic, JJ threw herself over the lip, her board flying out behind her, while Emily fell backwards off her board, the wave sweeping her onto the sandbar._

The team laughed as they watched the antics of the three surfers in the group. Sometimes it was good to revisit the past, even if that was an old life.

xxx

"I really want to call her Meilani," JJ said softly as she sat between Will's legs, rubbing her belly absently. Will placed his hands over her one hand as he pressed a soft kiss to the side of her neck.

"After Bethany," he replied knowingly. JJ nodded, sighing as he kissed her neck again.

"I don' mind. I know Bethany means a lot to you now. And I like the name anyway," Will told her.

"You do?"

"Yeah...and you know somethin'? I found a real nice middle name. It's Hawaiian"

"What is it?"

"Kilauea"

"I like it. It's sweet," JJ almost whispered, burying her face in the curve of Will's neck. Will pressed a kiss to the top of her head, wrapping his arms around her.

**A/N: So, last night at work I served this couple, who asked for my name before they left. My mum is working this morning, and they called up. Apparently I was downright rude to them. They want my boss' number, however, the girl I was working with says I've done nothing wrong, I was as polite as always, and not to worry. I honestly can't remember doing anything wrong.**

**Please leave me a review! It'll make me feel better after this whole mess I'm stuck in now.**

**SQ215 xxx**


	18. Meilani

**A/N: Really annoyed at the neighbour! We agreed that if they came outside and I was on my trampoline, I would go inside to give him and his frigging girlfriend 'privacy'. So now? Every time I'm outside, one of them wanders outside and gives me a pointed look. It seems like every time I go outside, one of them is already sitting there! It's driving me insane, and they think they've got it good! I have every right to use my trampoline! So screw them!**

**Really sorry about that, but they are seriously pissing me off! Every single, freakin' night...**

**BTW, I know I skipped lots of months with this, and I do apologise for that, but there are lots of arcs I need to set up or tie up before I move onto the sequel.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

JJ woke up in the middle of the night, wondering what had woken her. As she resettled on her side, she closed her eyes, attempting to get back to sleep.

About ten minutes later, her abdomen contracted sharply, telling her _exactly_ what had initially woken her up.

"Will," she hissed, shaking his shoulder. Will rolled over, snoring a little.

"Will!" she said, shaking him harder. Will opened his eyes, rubbing them as he adjusted to the darkness.

"What is it, cher?" he mumbled.

"I'm going into labour," JJ told him, gently pushing herself up. Will shot up into a sitting position, now wide awake.

"Are you sure?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, I'm sure!" JJ exclaimed. Will flew out of bed, quickly throwing on his jeans and a shirt. JJ pulled on a T-shirt and her sweatpants while Will grabbed her bag, their phones, and the keys.

xxx

After enduring eleven hours of labour, with no epidural (JJ had hated the feeling of numbness from the waist down when she gave birth to Henry, and opted out of it this time around, despite knowing how much pain she was going to be in), JJ was at ten centimetres, and ready to deliver. The doctors got her prepped for delivery, getting her to sit in a half sitting position, with her feet in the stir ups. When the contraction hit, JJ pushed as hard as she could, screaming as pain tore through her lower half. Will and Dr Reynolds coached JJ through each contraction, encouraging her, comforting her.

The delivery team had set up a mirror so that JJ and Will could see what was going on. Will watched in utter amazement as JJ delivered the top of the baby girl's head.

More contractions came and went, JJ pushing and screaming through each one. A few curses were hurled in Will's direction, making Dr Reynolds laugh. Will took it all in stride, watching as JJ delivered the lower half of the baby's head, then her shoulders. Dr Reynolds gently placed her hands around the infant's shoulders, rotated her carefully, and eased her out, with a little help on JJ's part. JJ collapsed back on the gurney, breathless and exhausted. Dr Reynolds clamped the cord, and then allowed Will to cut it, separating mother and daughter, at the same moment that the little girl began to cry, loud wails that filled the room as she took a big lungful of oxygen. Will went with the baby to get her cleaned up, while Dr Reynolds and another doctor set about getting JJ tidied up.

JJ looked up, a tired smile on her face as Will walked back over to her, carrying a little bundle of pink in his arms. With great care, he settled her in JJ's arm, making sure that JJ had a good hold on her before he pulled away.

"She's just like you," he said softly, kissing her temple.

"What do you want to call her?" the nurse asked.

"Meilani Kilauea LaMontagne," Will told the nurse. JJ smiled, mesmerised by Meilani's little face.

xxx

JJ woke up one night in the hospital to find Will sitting across the room, Meilani in his arms. He was talking softly to her, telling her what she would grow up to know.

"You've got a big brother, Henry. He loves you so much already. He was so excited to meet you. And then there's your mama. She's the bravest person I know. And the most beautiful. Your mama's a darn good surfer, and very good at her job"

JJ lay there listening for what felt like hours, listening to him detail everyone Meilani would come to know as her family. When Meilani drifted off to sleep in his arms, Will stood up, and walked over to the little crib in the corner. Pressing a gentle kiss to his daughter's forehead, he lay her down in the crib, gazing at her for just a moment. Then he turned towards JJ's bed, and realised she was awake. Pulling the chair over, he sat down, and took her hand between his.

"How much of that did you hear?" he asked. JJ smiled.

"Enough to know that Meilani's got the best daddy she could ever ask for," she told him. Will leaned down, kissing her softly.

xxx

Over the next few weeks, it became apparent that Henry adored his little sister. Whenever Will or JJ was holding her, he would climb up beside them and ask to hold her. JJ had proven that she was more than capable of caring for Meilani with just one arm. Carrying her was nothing. JJ had become an absolute pro at changing diapers, breastfeeding, and dressing Meilani, all with just one hand.

However, JJ had started to go through Baby Blues. The already present insecurities about having one arm only fuelled the hormones, tears, and self conscious breakdowns. Henry was quite bewildered, and very confused as to why Mommy was always crying.

One particular night, when Meilani was about one month old, Will just wanted to make JJ feel loved, and feel good about her body. But it didn't quite go as well as he wanted it to.

Will kissed JJ deeply, running his hands up her sides. As much as he needed the relief, he knew that JJ was nowhere near ready for him to be inside her; physically and emotionally.

He snaked his fingers along her stomach, ignoring her pointed attempts to get him to stop. JJ hated the way she looked at the moment, and it made her squirm when his attention lingered on any point on her body. Will thought she was beautiful no matter what; the most important thing to him was that she was in his life.

Pulling away from her lips momentarily, Will glanced down. He was slightly surprised, and stopped in his tracks. JJ looked at where his gaze was fixed, and blushed, her eyes filling with tears. Two damp circles on the front of her shirt.

Shoving Will off of her, JJ threw herself out of the bed, almost sprinting to the bathroom. Will made to follow her, getting to the door just as she slammed it shut and locked it behind her.

"JJ!" he called out, knocking on the door, and forcing against the lock, even though he knew it was pointless.

"Leave me alone!" JJ yelled back, her voice filled with tears.

"JJ, I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable...I was just a lil' surprised"

"Just go," JJ sobbed, her voice muffled.

"JJ-"

"Go away! Just leave. Me. Alone!"

Will pushed himself back from the door. Cursing at himself angrily for upsetting JJ, he threw himself onto the bed. He could hear JJ's broken sobs from behind the bathroom door, and that was what killed him the most.

xxx

It was almost two hours later when JJ came out of the bathroom. Will was half asleep, facing into the middle of the bed. When JJ lay down on her side of the bed, still crying somewhat, he pushed himself up onto his elbow.

"JJ?" he asked softly, reaching out and placing his right hand on the back of her shoulder.

"I hate my body...," she sobbed quietly. Will shuffled over so that his body was pressed up against her. JJ rolled over to face him just as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She buried her face in his shoulder, crying tears that broke Will's heart.

"I know you don' like the way you look right now-"

"It's not just that...I'm still finding...it hard to deal...with how I look...with one arm. And I hate...everything my...body does...at the moment," JJ sniffed, her sentences broken.

"Havin' one arm, and lookin' the way you do with one arm is difficult for you, I know. But, despite the amount of times I have already told you this, you are absolutely beautiful. Whether you have two arms or no arms, I'll still love you, because you have an amazin' personality. And the key thin' with the other issue? You said 'at the moment'. Basically, it'll pass. You just have to allow time for your body to adjust to the fact that Meilani is no longer inside you. I can see that I made you uncomfortable. I was honestly just surprised, but I didn' wanna upset you like this"

"I just want it all to end"

"It will eventually. Until then...I'm right here by your side"

**A/N: Yes, this chapter was a bit rushed, but I was inspired, am inspired. Itching to get to the sequel.**

**Please leave a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	19. Happy Family

**A/N: Okey dokey, I'm about eat a BLT without the LT, so basically just a B, and I'm going to enjoy it very much. I love bacon...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Will watched in admiration as JJ breastfed Meilani. JJ seemed to have toned down the tears a little ever since that night of 'The Incident' as JJ now affectionately called it, not wanting to bring it up again.

"She eats like a champ," Will drawled, making JJ smile, a rare occurrence for the time being.

"She definitely got that from her daddy," she teased. Will grinned. It was no secret that in the Jareau-LaMontagne household, Will, and even Henry, ate much more than JJ ever did.

When Meilani stopped feeding, Will gently took her from JJ's arm, resting her against his shoulder, where he had the burping cloth ready, and softly rubbed her back to coax a few burps out of the little girl. JJ stood up as she did the last button on her shirt, gently stroking the fine hair on Meilani's head. They stood there like that for a few moments, even after Meilani fell asleep on her daddy's shoulder. Will slowly left to put Meilani down, leaving JJ standing on her own in the lounge room. When he returned, he noticed that she was looking down, a sad expression on her face. Walking over to her, he gently tipped her chin up.

"Hey. You ok?" he asked gently. JJ nodded, sniffing slightly.

"What's wrong?" Will asked, pulling her into a hug. JJ wrapped her arm around him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder.

"I want my old body back," she admitted, her voice muffled. Will pulled away so he could see her face.

"Are you really that uncomfortable, cher?"

JJ nodded, a few tears escaping her eyes. "I'm trying to lose the weight...but it's not working"

"Don't lose it 'cause you think it's what I, or everyone else wants. Lose it because you wanna. Then you'll find it easier"

"My boobs are huge," JJ whined. Will laughed at the randomness of the complaint, bringing a smile to her face. JJ really had no shame in some situations.

"If I can be honest, cher, it don't bother me," he said. JJ whacked his shoulder.

"You're a pig!" she exclaimed, laughing. Will grinned, sitting down on the couch and pulling her into his lap, noticing when she winced.

"Still a lil' sore?" he asked gently. JJ nodded, shifting to a more comfortable position. Even though it had been a month since Meilani was born, JJ still felt a sting of pain every now and then. Dr Reynolds had assured her that it was normal, that it should fade away within the next two to three weeks.

xxx

As Meilani grew, JJ's post partum depression disappeared, and she began to quickly shed the baby weight with determination. When Meilani reached nine weeks old, JJ began to gradually shift her from breast to bottle. Meilani hardly noticed the difference; all she cared about was whether she was being fed at all. As long as she had milk in her tummy, a dry diaper on her bottom, and a warm crib to sleep in, she was happy.

Will was giving her a bottle one day, while Henry sat beside him, stroking Meilani's hair. JJ walked into the room, smiling at the cute scene in front of her. Henry was pressing a kiss to his baby sister's forehead, while she drank hungrily from the bottle that Will was giving her. JJ gently sat down beside Will, playing gently with one of Meilani's little feet, which were snug inside her footy pyjamas. Meilani kicked her foot softly, making Will and JJ laugh. Meilani finished up with the bottle, having been a hungry little girl. JJ took it from Will's hand, and sat it on the coffee table. Henry tugged on Will's sleeve.

"Daddy, I hold?" he asked.

"Not yet, bud. She needs to be burped," Will explained. Henry giggled.

"Pardon 'Lani," he giggled. Will and JJ laughed again. Henry was a funny boy.

"Come on, Henry. Why don't we go play for a little while?" JJ said, standing up and holding out her hand for him. Henry nodded, taking Mommy's hand.

"We play outside?" he asked.

"Alright. What do you want to play?"

"Soccer!" Henry yelled. JJ and Will hastily told him to be quiet, before JJ led him outside.

Will burped Meilani, and lay her down to sleep, grabbing the baby monitor from the table as he left the nursery. Walking out onto the front porch, he found JJ and Henry kicking a soccer ball around. JJ looked incredibly happy. Her smile lit up her whole face as she chased Henry around the front lawn.

"Na na na na na na, come get me!" Henry teased. JJ sped up, gently tackling him and pinning him to the ground. Will put the monitor down on the window ledge as Henry squealed with laughter. JJ let him up, standing up and turning to Will.

"Come on," she beckoned. Will sauntered down onto the lawn. Henry picked up the soccer ball, running away from JJ, who immediately chased him. Will chased after JJ, tackling her softly, and pinning her down on her stomach.

"Quick Henry, run!" he said playfully. JJ laughed, trying to get out from underneath Will as Henry took off, running circles around Mommy and Daddy.

"No, you stay there!" Will scolded lightly, tickling her sides. JJ screamed, trying to push him off of her, writhing underneath him. Will moved his hand up, tickling just below her stump, where he knew she was very ticklish. JJ tried to brush his fingers away with her stump, while at the same time trying to tickle Will with her hand. Suddenly, Henry threw himself onto Will's back, making JJ groan.

"Jesus Christ, he's heavy!" she cried out, making Will laugh. Henry giggled, reaching down and tickling Mommy's neck. Somehow, JJ rolled out from underneath them, sending them crashing into the grass with a thump.

"Oof!" Will grunted as his the combined weight of him and Henry hit the grass. Henry slid off his dad, instantly fascinated by a butterfly that was flapping past his head. Chasing after it, he left Will and JJ standing on their own. Will placed his hands on JJ's hips, pulling her in for a kiss. JJ giggled, kissing him chastely. When they pulled away, JJ leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Mrs Porter's watching us from across the street," she informed him. Will grinned like a fool, biting back laughter as JJ buried her face in his shoulder. Turning, he waved across the street.

"Hi Mrs Porter!" he called, making JJ laugh.

"Hello William!" the elderly lady called back. Getting up from the rocking chair on her front porch, she began to cross the street.

"Great, Will, now she's coming over. We're going to be out here for hours," JJ laughed. Will grinned, putting his arm around her as Mrs Porter came up the driveway.

"Jennifer, William, how are you these days?" she asked.

"We're great. Never been better," Will drawled.

"And the little ones?"

"Perfect"

"Young Henry sure is a bundle of energy, isn't he?"

"Without a doubt"

"Yes, yes...now, Jennifer, how do you manage the children with one arm?" Mrs Porter asked. JJ could vaguely remember answering the particular question a few times before.

"It's not hard. Henry's easy to handle, and Meilani just took a little getting used to"

They stayed there for about half an hour, chatting easily with each other, before Mrs Porter decided it was time to make a casserole for Mr Gregory down the street. JJ and Will said their goodbyes, before heading back inside. Henry was playing with his Transformers in the front lounge room. Will sat down beside him, while JJ went into Meilani's nursery. She found the baby girl wide awake, happily lying there watching the mobile above her crib.

"Hey sweetie," JJ said softly, reaching into the cot and gently rubbing Meilani's tummy. Meilani gurgled happily in response. Using the method that Dr Reynolds and the occupational therapist had showed her, JJ reached in and easily lifted Meilani out, making sure her head was supported. Once she had the little girl nestled comfortably in her arm, she walked back to where Will and Henry were playing. Sitting down on the couch, she entertained Meilani. For the first time in a long time, JJ's insecurities were nonexistent. She finally felt happy with her body, almost back to her toned figure that she had sported before falling pregnant. Her life with one arm was easier than most people would expect, and she realised that a lot of people didn't double take, or even care about that minor detail anymore. But the most important thing? She had a wonderful fiancé, who she loved to death, and two beautiful children who she loved with all of her heart. JJ couldn't have asked for more.

**A/N: I know that sounds like an end, but I promise, it's not.**

**Please please please leave a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	20. One Year, One Day

**A/N: Chapter 20...something special. I know what to do.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.**

JJ rolled over to face her bedside table as she opened her eyes after a reasonable amount of sleep. Meilani had woken them just past midnight because she needed changing, then again at three because she was hungry.

When JJ looked at the clock, she glanced over the date. While on holidays from work, JJ tended to just forget what day or date it was, and therefore, it came as a surprise when she realised what the clock read.

July 26.

"Mornin'," Will mumbled, shuffling up behind her and kissing her neck. JJ smiled, rolling back to face him.

"It's been a year," she informed him. Will looked confused as he pushed himself up onto his elbow.

"Since what?" he asked, his sleepy brain still not registering anything.

"Since my attack," JJ pointed out. Will glanced over her shoulder at the clock, finally able to put it all together.

"So it has," he said, leaning down and kissing her softly. His hand came to rest on her stump. In a year, a lot had changed.

JJ had lost her left arm to a shark, and nearly her life.

Emily and Morgan had gotten together in the aftermath of JJ's attack.

Hotch had loosened up a lot. JJ's near death experience had taught him that life was too short to be serious.

Will and JJ's engagement.

Henry had proven that he was a very perceptive three year old. He had adjusted quickly to JJ's changed appearance, and didn't seem to care one bit about it anymore.

Meilani was born, making a beautiful addition to Will and JJ's family.

All in all, in the event of a life changing experience, a lot of good had come from it.

xxx

"I can't believe it's already been a year. It feels like it was just yesterday," Emily said. Garcia nodded in agreement.

JJ walked in between Garcia and Emily as they strolled through the large shopping mall. She had gotten over her recent bout of self consciousness, as because of how athletic she was, she'd lost the baby weight quickly, and because she'd figured, she was stuck with one arm for the rest of her life, why get all worked up over it?

"JJ!" Garcia said excitedly, bringing JJ out of her thoughts. JJ looked where Garcia was pointing. At the end of the corridor was a bridal wear store. JJ found herself being tugged along by Emily and Garcia. Knowing there was no point in trying to resist, she allowed them to lead her to the dress shop.

If JJ was completely honest with herself, she had wanted to put off searching for a wedding dress for as long as she could, knowing that it would just make her feel uncomfortable all over again.

"Good morning ladies, how can I help you?" the shop owner asked as they entered the store. She looked to be what JJ would classify very simply as a snob. Her brunette hair was neatly pulled up in a bun, her make-up, while heavy, was perfect, and she was wearing a very formal outfit, a blouse with a jacket and pencil skirt. Neatly pinned to her pocket was a name badge that read _'Lacy Thomas'_.

"We're just looking, maybe trying something on," Emily replied, earning a sharp nudge to the ribs from JJ. Lacy turned her attention to JJ, giving her that awful once over that JJ _hated_. JJ had to seriously abstain from giving her a piece of her mind.

"Of course. Feel free to look through our displays, and please ask if you assistance with anything," Lacy said in a very professional tone. JJ half smiled, turning away from where Garcia and Emily were already looking through some of the dresses. A lot of the wedding gowns in that particular store were very over the top, with hefty amounts of lace, ribbon, and glittery embroidery. As JJ wandered to the back of the store, one dress caught her eye.

It was a strapless dress, fitted around the torso, with a long skirt that flared out from the waist down. The skirt was many layers of white silk and snowy netting. Around the waistline was a thick, creamy coloured ribbon that was tied in a bow at the back. The upper part of the dress was also white, with glittery swirls all over it. While it was still elaborate, it was definitely not overdone.

"Jayje, that's beautiful," Garcia said softly. JJ gently ran the tips of her fingers over the netting, feeling how fluid the material was.

"Would you like to try it on?" Lacy offered, appearing behind Emily. JJ thought for a moment, before turning around.

"Please," she said softly. Garcia clapped happily, making Emily laugh.

xxx

When JJ stepped out of the fitting room, Emily and Garcia's collective gasp made her blush slightly.

"Jayje, you look beautiful!" Emily gushed. JJ moved over to the mirror, taking in her appearance.

"It fits you perfectly," Lacy said somewhat warmly. JJ turned side on, looking herself up and down in the mirror. Lacy was right. It did fit her perfectly, showing off the tan she had gotten in Hawaii, and somehow managed to keep from fading. But at the same time, she felt tears welling up inside her. Who was she kidding? How was she ever going to look beautiful on her wedding day with the stump of an arm she was stuck with. Turning her back on the others, she headed back for the fitting room, feeling tears rapidly approaching. She could hear Emily following her, but she didn't care.

"Is something wrong? Did I say something?" Lacy asked Garcia. Garcia shook her head.

"JJ was attacked by a shark, a year ago today. That's why she only has one arm. She goes through bouts of self consciousness, and it's really hard for her to feel confident about wearing whatever outfit she chooses for work, let alone about wearing a wedding dress," she explained. Lacy nodded, suddenly a lot more casual than before.

"I feel bad now," she admitted.

"Because you gave her the once over?"

"Yes. I do it all the time, without even thinking about _why_ people might look different, and I always get these horrible looks in return. I guess I should've learned my lesson a long time ago"

"JJ is a very forgiving person. Trust me"

xxx

JJ burst into tears as soon as she reached the stall. Emily came in behind her, pulling her into a hug.

"All I want...is to look normal. I just want one day...my wedding day...where I can see myself as beautiful," JJ sobbed. Emily pulled away, placing her hands on JJ's shoulders and making her look at her.

"Normal is so overrated, not to mention boring, Jayje. Turn around," she instructed. JJ wiped her eyes, turning around to face the mirror.

"You look amazing in this dress, whether you have two arms or not. I know that you struggle to feel good about yourself sometimes, but trust me now when I say, you are a beautiful person, Jayje, inside and out. Will's a lucky guy to have you," Emily said gently. For the second time, JJ took in what she saw, only this time, with Emily's words in her head. And like magic, the doubt vanished.

"You're right," JJ replied. Emily smiled.

"Of course I am," she teased. JJ gave her a watery grin. Emily handed her some tissues, helping her to fix up the mascara she'd smudged while crying. Once JJ had gathered herself, Emily left so that she could change.

JJ came out of the change room, handing the dress back to Lacy.

"So, what are you going to do?" Lacy asked warmly, as she led them to the register.

"Well...could you hold it for me, please? In the event of not finding something else, I would love to wear that dress," JJ replied. Lacy nodded.

"Your name?"

"Jennifer Jareau"

"Ok. We'll hold it as long as you need"

After sorting out the dress, the three women left the store, the minor incident forgotten as they headed to a nearby cafe for coffee.

xxx

That night, Henry and Meilani were staying with JJ's parents, who had flown to DC to see their daughter and visit some old friends. JJ and Will were dancing around the lounge room together, laughing as they stumbled and fell over each other. As Will pulled JJ around the coffee table, he slipped over the edge of the rug, going crashing onto the floor, pulling JJ on top of him. They stared at each other for a minute before bursting out laughing. Will looked up into his fiancé's beautiful blue eyes, seeing how they lit up when she laughed. Pulling her face towards his, he kissed her deeply.

They only pulled apart when the need for air became more important than their passion. JJ smiled lovingly at Will, standing up and helping him to his feet.

"You know...I didn' forget that it had been a year. I have a surprise for you," Will told her. Taking her hand, he led her to the kitchen. JJ leant against the counter as Will opened the fridge and pulled out a box, about the size of a shoebox. Sitting it on the bench, he reached behind JJ and grabbed something off the recipe stand that was sitting on the ledge.

"Here. Open this," he coaxed, handing her an envelope. JJ frowned, slightly worried that he was up to something. Opening the envelope, she slid out a card with a huge heart on the front.

"Will, Valentine's Day was ages ago!" she laughed.

"Open the card!" Will exclaimed, making her laugh even more. Flipping the card open, a piece of folded paper fell onto the counter. Reading the card, she smiled.

_Dear JJ,_

_I LOVE YOU!_

_Love,  
>Will<em>

"You're such a dork," she teased, picking up the piece of paper. Will grinned, waiting for her to open the piece of paper.

JJ quickly unfolded the paper. Seeing that it was a letter, she began to read.

_Dear JJ,_

_You made it a year. That on its own is amazing, to me anyway. This year certainly has been a rollercoaster ride. I know it's been difficult for you, and I'm glad that in most situations, you seem to be able to see the light. In the last year, I've never really had a chance to properly tell you exactly how I feel. So, I'm going to sum it up for you._

_First off, I'm just ecstatic that I got to spend another year with you, and that we're going to be spending the rest of our lives together. I was heartbroken that day, when Spencer came to our room and told me that you'd been attacked by a shark. I thought I wasn't going to get to see you again. And the one thing that kept running through my mind was 'If today is JJ's last day, I at least want a chance to see her beautiful blue eyes again and to tell her that no matter what, I love her'. When they pulled you out of the ambulance, I was in shock. I hadn't realised how bad the attack had been. My heart cracked in two, and I had to fight back tears. I had to be strong for you._

_But you, being the tough little cookie you are, showed that shark who's boss, and left the hospital two weeks later. I had never felt so lucky, than at that moment, to still have you in my life._

_I know you sometimes can't help the insecurities you feel, but if this is any reassurance...you're absolutely beautiful, and I love you just the way you are. I wouldn't change anything about you for the world. You have a beautiful body, and an incredible personality to go with it. I hate seeing you so upset over how you look, because I know for a fact that everyone on your team thinks you're gorgeous as well, inside and out. When I first met you, I couldn't believe you were single. I thought you were playing me. But no, here we are, five years later._

_I want you to know that I am so incredibly proud of you for everything you've had thrown at you in the last twelve months. I don't know anyone else who would be able to take the amount of, mind my language, shit you've had to deal with. And somehow, you still find the time to smile. Which only makes you more beautiful than you already are, because you have an incredible smile._

_Whatever happens in the future, I am right by your side, and I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be here for you when you need someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on, or someone to hold you. I'll always love you, as will Henry and Meilani. How could we not?_

_Let's battle on through the many years to come, and make them as memorable as the last five years have been._

_I love you...no matter how many times I've said it by now, it's still true. I love you._

_-Will_

JJ looked up at Will, tears filling her eyes. She was filled with that warm fuzzy feeling.

"Will...that is the sweetest thing anyone's ever given me," she said tearfully, putting her arm around his neck. Will wrapped his arms around her, holding her close for a few moments, before she pulled back and kissed him. She had tears running down her face, but they were tears of happiness.

"I love you too," she told him, kissing him again. Will smiled.

"I have one more thing," he replied. Opening the box, he revealed a cake, shaped like a number one, with photos of them printed on top in edible ink.

"Oh my god...," JJ whispered, turning to Will.

"We made it a year in a new life. _You_ made it a year. I believe that needs celebratin'," Will explained. JJ threw her arm around him again, burying her face in his shoulder.

After cutting the cake, (which turned out to be JJ's favourite flavour; vanilla with choc chips), Will and JJ shared a piece, feeding it to each other. Then they unfolded the fold out bed from the couch, curled up together and watched _'Titanic'_. JJ fell asleep with her head resting on Will's chest, safe in his arms. Will soon followed, hoping that there were many more nights like that to come in their future.

**A/N: I made myself cry as I wrote that letter, because it came out a lot sweeter, a lot more caring than I ever envisioned.**

**I hope you enjoyed! This chapter is a milestone in the story, so I would really, really appreciate a review from everyone who reads it! It would mean so much to me!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	21. Henry On Board

**A/N: So, my sister's party turned out to be fun. Mum and I had to start rigging the party games because one kid started winning everything. So much fun.**

**Now I totally would complete the lemon scene at the end, if my mum hadn't found my fanfiction account (anyone remember the Kasey Chambers story I did a few months ago? Yeah. She found that). Sorry guys, not risking it again. She made me take the KC one down, I don't want to jeopardise this one as well.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

JJ enjoyed the time she and Will had before Henry and Meilani were due to come home. She loved her kids to death, but for once, it was bliss to get a full night's sleep without being woken by Meilani's cries.

Will made breakfast for both of them; choc chip pancakes, French toast, and fresh orange juice. The whole time he was cooking, JJ was thinking about where she'd been exactly a year ago. Lying in a hospital bed, in a lot of pain, wondering what the hell she was supposed to do with her life.

"Bon appétit," Will drawled. JJ laughed, shaking her head.

"Nicely done, but the Southern accent kind of ruins it," she teased. Will grinned.

"Of course it does, it ruins everythin' else," he replied.

They sat in silence as they ate, the only sound being their forks hitting the plate. After a few minutes, Will looked up at JJ.

"You ok? You seem kinda distracted," he asked. JJ shrugged.

"I just keep thinking. A year ago, I was wondering what on earth to do with my life, and now...it couldn't be better," she replied. Will smiled, reaching over and squeezing her hand.

"A lot's changed since then. And for the good," he told her. JJ smiled, squeezing his hand back.

xxx

In the afternoon, when Henry and Meilani came home, Will surprised JJ by taking her to a beach outside DC that was known to have decent surf a lot of the time. While JJ changed into her bikini (with help from Will to tie it), she figured out a way for Henry to have more fun.

Loading her short board into the back of the car, she went back to the shed and grabbed the ancient long board she'd had for years. Will gave her a questioning expression, but helped her tie it to the roof anyway.

When they arrived at the beach, Will sat with Meilani in his lap, their stuff and JJ's short board beside him, while JJ took the long board and led Henry to the water's edge. Meilani gurgled happily in her daddy's arms. At just over two months old, she was a happy baby, content to just lie in the arms or arm of her parents and try to grab whatever was above her face. In this case, Will's nose.

"Mommy, what we doing?" Henry asked.

"Do you want to ride on the surfboard?" JJ asked. Henry grinned, jumping up and down excitedly.

"Yes, yes!" he exclaimed. JJ walked into the water, putting the board on the surface. Henry followed, placing his hands flat on the board.

"Ok, buddy, climb on. You lie up the front, ok?" JJ instructed. Henry nodded, doing as she said. Once he was comfortable, JJ lay down behind him, and began to paddle out. Henry giggled, paddling lightly with the tips of his fingers, splashing water all over JJ.

"Hey, you cheeky monkey!" JJ laughed. Henry giggled, splashing more water towards her.

JJ paddled right out to where the waves were at their best. As they rolled through, she pushed herself into a sitting position, tickling Henry's feet.

"Mommy!" he laughed.

"When the wave comes, you're going to hold on really tight, ok?" JJ told him.

"Yes, Mommy," Henry replied.

They sat for a few minutes, until JJ saw a wave that was a decent size, but gentle enough that Henry wouldn't be thrown off the board.

"Ok, buddy, hold on," JJ called, lying down again. Paddling fast, she dropped into the wave, pushing herself up. Henry squealed with joy as they gained a little speed. JJ turned the board, ducking down as the wave created a small tube.

"Woah!" Henry yelled, making JJ laugh. JJ turned again, going over an unbroken part of the wave to finish off. Sitting back down, she lifted Henry to a sitting position and pulled him closer to her.

"Was that fun?"

Henry nodded ecstatically. "Yeah!"

"Wanna go again?"

After a few more waves, JJ took Henry back to the beach, where he proceeded to tell Daddy how much fun it was, and how cool it was, while JJ swapped the long board for her short board.

xxx

JJ laid on her right side on hers and Wills bed, resting on her elbow, Meilani lying beside her, wriggling happily.

"You're such a beautiful girl...," she said softly, lifting her hand and gently stroking the top of Meilani's head. Meilani gurgled in response, making JJ smile.

"You know, as you get older, you're going to realise that I'm not like your friends mommies. But I'll still love you just as much as they love their children. If not more," JJ told her. Meilani stopped wriggling, looking up at JJ with her big blue eyes. It was almost as though she'd been listening.

Will stood in the doorway, watching with a smile on his face. JJ held her hand above Meilani, only to have Meilani grab one of her fingers tightly. Meilani pulled her Mommy's finger towards her mouth, making JJ laugh as she gently pulled it away. Meilani let out a little squeal, a smile spreading across her teeny face.

xxx

Will kissed JJ deeply as he gently pushed her back onto the bed, his tongue brushing across hers. JJ moaned as they broke apart, looking into his eyes.

"Are you sure you're ready?" he asked. JJ nodded, her face flushed. "If you wanna stop, just say so. I don' wanna hurt you, cher"

"It's ok. Please, Will-"

"Ok, I hear ya"

Will leaned down, kissing her deeply again, this time sucking on her bottom lip gently. Meanwhile, his hands were sliding up her sides, inching her shirt up across her yet again toned stomach. Even after two children, her determination to lose weight, and the amount of surfing she now did had really got her back in shape.

His fingers ghosted across the warm skin of her stomach, making her shiver with pleasure. His hand slid up the front of her shirt, cupping her left breast. JJ moaned softly as he caressed her through her bra.

"You like that, cher?" he asked gently.

"Yeah...," JJ sighed. She felt increasingly pleasured as he slid his hand underneath her back and undid the clasp, sliding the (thankfully) strapless bra from underneath her shirt, and throwing it aside.

"Will...please...I need you," JJ whimpered. Having gone plenty months without sex, she was all ready turned on to no end.

"In good time, baby," Will replied, kissing her neck.

xxx

Will took deep breaths as he rolled to JJ's side. JJ pushed herself up onto her elbow, kissing him chastely. Will had been so gentle, not wanting to hurt her as it was her first time since giving birth to Meilani. He had made her feel special, and loved yet again.

"I love you," she whispered. Will smiled, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"I love you too," he whispered, returning the kiss.

**A/N: Ok, I know it's been super mushy and romantic lately, but I'm going to switch it up a bit to keep you all interested, k? Couples don't often live in perfect harmony.**

**Please drop a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	22. Disabled!

**A/N: Switching it up. I had difficulty finding one topic, so I combined two or three to give it more depth.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Will walked out into the backyard, where JJ and Henry were laughing as Henry pretended to walk the tightrope across the long board JJ had laid on the ground. JJ looked up, smiling as she saw Will approaching with the baby monitor in his hand.

"Show Daddy," she whispered to Henry. Henry flopped down, pretending to paddle, and then pushed himself up like Mommy had shown him, only with two arms.

"Good job, Henry!" Will praised. Henry grinned.

"Am I really really good, Daddy?" he asked. Will nodded.

"You'll be a pro one day," he said. Henry smiled happily, clapping his hands.

"He already loves it, and he hasn't even gone in the water properly yet," JJ told her fiancé. Will nodded.

"Henry, why don' you go inside for a while, out of the sun. You can come back out later," he said. Henry nodded, tearing off to find a toy to play with. JJ stood up, folding her arm across her. Will turned to her, his smile fading.

"JJ...I don' think it's such a great idea that you teach him to surf," he said as gently as possible. JJ frowned.

"Why?"

"Because...he's so little-"

"Bethany's parents put her on a board before she could walk-"

"JJ, look, I know that Bethany is an amazin' person, really, I admire her in every way...but you can't use somethin' out of her life as an argument for everythin'!" Will exclaimed. JJ stepped over the board, walking up to him.

"If he wants to learn, then so be it!"

"It's dangerous! You've been attacked by a shark, you've had your board almost break your ribs, then there's reef cuts, fin cuts, bein' held under-"

"Will, stop! The event of being seriously injured while surfing is rare-"

"Yet you've been injured twice! Hell, JJ, the first time, you almost died!"

"Like I need reminding! You've been so supportive of me surfing up until now!"

"It's not you I'm worried about, I know you can handle yourself! It's Henry I'm worried about!"

"_Why_ are you so against him surfing!"

"Because he could end up disabled like you!" Will yelled, immediately regretting it.

JJ froze, suddenly feeling sick. "What?" she asked, in disbelief of what had just come out of Will's mouth. Shoving past him, she stormed into the house, slamming the back door behind her. Will followed quickly, nearly catching his fingers in the door.

"JJ, I-!"

He was cut off by JJ throwing the bedroom door open. Henry was peeking around the corner of the archway to see what was going on.

JJ came storming out of the bedroom, something shiny in her hand.

"If I can't teach Henry to surf, then you can't have this!" she yelled, throwing the object in her hand at Will. Will caught it, turning it over and realising it was a Playboy. The Playboy he had stashed under the bed. Obviously not well enough.

He paled as he looked up at his furious fiancé. "How did you kno-?"

"Because I'm the only one that cleans up after you lot! I found it, and I figured it wasn't going to hurt anyone! I didn't have an issue with it before! But now, you take away something I want, I take away something you want!" JJ exclaimed, snatching it from his hand. Leaning against the counter, she held it between the edge of the bench and her stomach, using her hand to rip it in half. Holding the two halves, she tossed it into the trashcan. Storming back to their bedroom, leaving Will standing in the lounge room, she grabbed her jacket and her phone, throwing the jacket on over her shirt and jeans.

Will looked up at her, angry at her for being so stubborn. All he wanted to do was protect his son from what she'd been through. Why couldn't she understand that? Oh yeah. Because he'd called her disabled.

"JJ! Don't leave!" he yelled. Henry disappeared into the front lounge room. Meilani's cries came over the baby monitor. JJ ignored Will, going down the front hallway and throwing open the front door. Slamming it behind her, she took off, fuming over Will's earlier comment.

xxx

JJ found herself sitting on a park bench by the river, her knees pulled up to her chest. She watched with tears in her eyes as mothers pushed their young children on the swings, caught them at the bottom of the slide, and held them as they swung across the monkey bars. Part of her knew she'd acted out. Like every red blooded male, Will had his urges, and with her line of work, JJ often wasn't home to relieve them. But what Will said had stung. JJ didn't feel disabled. And while a tiny part of her understood that he probably hadn't meant to say it in the first place, the rest of her wanted to go and kick him in the balls and break his nose, just to prove to him that she was far from disabled.

Having one arm didn't make her disabled, did it? She managed to do everyday things all the time; getting food, getting dressed, brushing her hair, brushing her teeth, texting, playing with Henry, caring for Meilani, cleaning...the list was endless. JJ didn't like to think of herself as disabled. In fact, no-one had ever labelled her as disabled...until now. Was that really what Will thought?

Wiping away the tears that were running down her cheeks, JJ took a deep breath, noticing how cold the air was for August.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her phone, unlocked it, and opened her contacts. Scrolling down, she found the number she was looking for, and pressed call. While waiting for the person to pick up, she got up, and walked to the edge of the river, walking slowly along the path that ran alongside it.

"Hello?"

"Dad? It's me, Jen"

"Hey, sweet. What's going on?"

"Not much...I just _really_ need to talk to you"

"Sure honey, what's wrong?"

"Uh...Will and I had a fight...a pretty bad one, in terms of our arguments," JJ explained, her voice shaking.

"Oh hon...what happened?"

"Henry wanted me to teach him how to surf, and Will started carrying on about how it wasn't such a good idea, for various stupid reasons, like Henry being attacked, or getting hurt from a fall or something. Then he slipped up...well, I hope he didn't mean it, anyway"

"What did he say?"

"...Uh...he kind of said that...Henry would end up disabled like me..."

"I'm going to rip his balls off, fry them, and make him eat them"

JJ couldn't help but laugh. "I don't think you need to be that extreme"

"Well, he's getting a piece of my mind the next time I see him. You're not disabled, honey. You are amazingly capable of doing almost everything"

"I know, it's just...it still stung"

"Words do hurt, no matter what anyone says...look, Jen. I'm sure you will work it out, because I can tell that you two love each other very much. As much as I want to kill him for saying that to you, I'm sure he didn't mean it. People say things they don't mean when they're being fuelled by anger"

"I know he's only looking out for Henry, but part of me also wants to share my love for surfing with Henry. Henry's already so into it, and he hasn't even gone in the water yet"

"If Henry wants to surf, even at his young age, then Will needs to understand that it's what Henry wants and that you are willing to guide him"

"You think we'll work it out?"

"I'm sure you will. Your mother and I fight all the time-"

"Yeah, but you don't call each other disabled, and have a perfectly good reason to"

"I know, but what I'm saying is these things blow over quicker than you think...I'm still giving Will a talking to the next time I see him. He needs to watch his choice of words"

JJ giggled. "Go easy on him...thanks Dad"

"No problem honey. You know you can call us at any time"

"I know. I'll talk to you later"

"Alright. Love you. We're always thinking of you, Jen"

"Love you too, Dad. Bye"

"Bye"

JJ hung up, feeling better than she had before. Before she could put her phone back in her pocket, it buzzed, indicating that she had a message. Opening the message, she sighed.

_J, we need 2 sort this out. Plz come home._

Pocketing her phone, JJ looked out across the river, absently playing with the end of the empty sleeve on her jacket. The sky above her was nearly dark. Stopping at the edge of the footpath, JJ exhaled heavily. Turning around and heading back to the top of the park, she made her way home.

xxx

Once Meilani was asleep, and Henry was tucked in, JJ and Will retreated to the front lounge room, closing the hallway door behind them. JJ sat the baby monitor on the coffee table, and sat down across from Will, pulling her knees up to her chest again. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, before Will spoke.

"JJ...I'm really sorry about what I said. I was outta line," he said. JJ remained silent, willing herself not to cry. "I didn't mean it, JJ"

"You might not have meant it, Will, but that doesn't mean it didn't hurt!" she snapped. Will nodded, taking a deep breath.

"I know. If I could go back and change what I said, I would," he said sincerely. JJ wiped away the tears that were running down her cheeks.

"I understand that you're worried about Henry getting hurt, or ending up in my situation, but the chances of it happening are low. Millions of people worldwide surf avidly, and out of all those people, the number of shark attacks that have resulted in serious injury or death are definitely not high"

Will got up, crossing the room and sitting down beside JJ on the other couch.

"I'll always worry, but if he really wants to, I guess I can't stop him, can I?" he asked. JJ shook her head.

"I'm sorry I acted out," she said sheepishly, looking up at him.

"It's alright. You had every right to after what I said," he said gently, reaching out and taking her hand. JJ resisted at first, wanting to stay mad at him. But she couldn't. Caving in, she shuffled across, resting her head against his shoulder.

"I'm really sorry about everything," she mumbled. Will kissed her forehead.

"Me too. I love you," he murmured. JJ snuggled closer, closing her eyes as he put his arms around her.

**A/N: My friend and I are currently putting together a surprise for you guys.**

**Please review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	23. Rage Against The Machine

**A/N: So last chapter, a slip up, and an argument. A quick recovery. I suck at resolving fights. BTW, I also suck at cases, so I'm not going to focus on that in big part.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

JJ locked her car, before turning and heading for the elevator. Stepping inside the elevator, she found Anderson.

"Hey, Anderson. I haven't seen you in a while," she said warmly, smiling at him as the doors closed.

"How have you been, Agent Jareau?" he asked, leaning back against the wall as the lift began to take them up to the BAU floor.

"Please, just call me JJ. Everyone else does," she laughed. Anderson grinned.

"Well, anyway, how have you been?" he repeated.

"I've actually been pretty good. What about you?"

"Same, same. Work, eat, sleep, everyday's the same," Anderson replied. JJ laughed.

"Not when you have two kids," she told him. Anderson nodded.

"Well, I haven't been blessed with kids yet, so should I be grateful for the peace I have at the moment?" he asked. JJ grinned, patting his shoulder as they reached the BAU floor.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," she told him, exiting the elevator. Anderson laughed, following her path to the bullpen.

xxx

Will walked out onto the back porch to find Meilani in her little swing, Henry playing around on the long board again, and JJ watching both of them, while listening to music from her phone. Walking up to her and pulling an earphone out, he held it to his ear. JJ grinned as she waited for the trademark confused look...yep, there it was.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Rage Against The Machine," JJ replied, as if it was common knowledge.

"I had no idea you rock," Will teased. JJ laughed.

"There's just some things you still don't know about me," she said teasingly. Will raised his eyebrows.

"Like what?"

"Oh, that's for me to know and for you to find out," JJ laughed, turning the volume down on the music.

"I have my ways, cher," Will said seductively. JJ grinned

"Daddy, Mommy, look at me!" Henry yelled. They both looked at their little boy, who was standing in the middle of the board, posed like a stereotypical surfer.

"Go catch that wave, Henry!" JJ called out. Henry giggled. Will got up, walking over to his son.

"You wanna show me how to do it?" he asked softly. Henry nodded ecstatically, jumping off the board.

JJ bit back laughter as she watched her adorable three year old teaching his Daddy how to surf...or 'Henry's Revised Version'. Meilani began to squirm in the rocker, so JJ lifted her out, holding her easily in her lap. Watching Will 'paddling' was quite an amusing scene. Something she could get used to...

xxx

JJ bounced onto the bed, almost sending Will flying off the other side.

"Woah, cher! Careful!" he exclaimed, flailing for something to grab onto. JJ laughed, snuggling into his side.

"I've been thinking a _lot_ about what Bethany said," she said, lifting her face and resting her chin on his chest.

"About competin'?"

"Yeah..."

"I don' have a mindset on this one, cher. All I can say is if you're up for it, go for it. But think about your work as well"

"I know, that's why I've taken such a long time to think about it"

"Here's an idea. You've got your break for Thanksgivin' comin' up. Why don' you speak to Bethany, see if there's any small time comps in that space of time, give one a go, and see what you think?"

"...Will, you're a genius"

"I try my hardest"

xxx

When JJ walked through the door after a long day at the BAU, she was surprised by Will giving her flowers and chocolates.

"Will?" she asked, confused, putting her bag on the hook and gently taking the flowers from his hand.

"I feel like an absolute ass for what I said to you-"

"Will, you don't have to-"

"Please, let me finish. You're not disabled, JJ, I've known that from the very beginnin'. I'll prob'ly never have a good explanation for what I said to you, and I just want to make it up to you," Will said, dropping down to one knee. JJ smiled as she smelled the flowers.

"Get up," she said. Will stood up as JJ put her arm around his neck. "You are such a dork sometimes...but you're a lovable dork. I forgive you for what you said, because as my dad said, people say things they don't mean when they're fuelled by anger"

"Wait a minute, when did you talk to your dad?" Will asked, suddenly worried. JJ bit her lip, grinning. Will groaned.

"I'm roadkill. He's gonna kill me," he moaned. JJ laughed, kissing his cheek.

"Sorry babe. I'll try to keep him from murdering you. And by the way, you're _my_ roadkill," she said seductively, taking his hand and pulling him to the bedroom.

xxx

"So, there's a competition in Kauai?" JJ asked, writing it down on the notepad beside her. She was on Skype with Bethany, having told her that competing was something she'd like to try.

"Right here, in Turtle Bay. Anyone can enter, from amateurs to pros, and they're sorted into divisions. If you enter, you'll be in a division that also accounts as an age group," Bethany replied.

"So, you're divided up based on your skill and your age?"

"Exactly"

"Ok...I think I'm going to give this a go. When is it again?"

"Saturday the third of December"

"I'll be there"

xxx

"JJ, what was it you wanted to ask?" Hotch said as he sat down behind his desk. JJ sat down in front of him.

"Well, I was wondering if I could possibly have the first week in December free?"

"What for?"

"If I can have the time off, I'm going back to Hawaii again, this time for a surf competition," JJ explained. Hotch raised his eyebrows, looking surprised.

"Well, that is the week before our Christmas break starts. You can take the time off, and come back ready to go in the New Year," he offered. JJ smiled.

"That'd be great," she replied.

"A surf competition, hey?" Hotch asked, putting his pen down. JJ grinned.

"Bethany talked me into it...and so did Will," she told him.

"Well, I think you'll do great," Hotch said warmly as JJ stood up.

"Thanks," she replied, flashing her biggest smile. Hotch watched as she left, hardly able to believe that the woman who'd just sat in front of him was the same woman he had comforted in the back of the truck, the one who's eyes had shone with fear on the day she almost died.

xxx

At the Halloween party at the BAU office, Will spotted Morgan on his own. Will and JJ had come dressed as Woody and Jesse from Toy Story. Before leaving the house, Will had lightly nipped JJ's ear, and whispered that she 'made a very sexy one armed cowgirl'. So JJ wanted nothing more than to get home and get Will into bed.

"I'll be right back," he whispered to JJ, who nodded, and continued listening to what Anderson was telling the small group of people.

Walking over to Morgan, Will gave him a small wave.

"Hey man," Morgan said, shaking his hand.

"Hi...look, I know it's been over a year, but I really have to tell you this," Will started. Morgan nodded, motioning for him to continue.

"I realised that I hadn't properly thanked you for what you did out there that day, so...thank you"

Morgan took a deep breath, glancing away before looking back at the Southerner in front of him. "I just wish I could've done more-"

Will cut him off. "JJ is still in my life...because of you. Thank you"

Morgan half smiled, reaching out and shaking Will's hand.

**A/N: Yeah, I'm just pulling little scenes from Soul Surfer and throwing them in wherever the hell I like!**

**Please leave a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	24. Yeah, But I Can Surf

**A/N: So, it took me a while to get the ideas formulated for this chapter. But thanks to my friend, darthhpacman, I got some new ideas together, just enough to scrape by with this chapter. I'll deal with Chapter 25 when I get to it.**

***I'm not sure if that's what it's called, but when Bethany said it in Soul Surfer, that's what it sounded like. If you're an art historian, please don't kill me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

"Just a mocha, please," JJ said, reaching into her jeans pocket for money. Frowning when she couldn't feel the note she'd slipped in there earlier, she turned to Emily. Emily laughed, holding up the missing money she'd sneakily pinched as a joke. JJ grinned, shaking her head as she took it from Emily's fingers.

Once their orders were handed to them, the two women turned to leave the store. As they reached the door, a man stopped them, smirking. Looking straight at JJ, he addressed them.

"You're Jennifer Jareau," he said knowingly, in a cold, jeering tone. JJ smiled almost sarcastically.

"I am. Thanks for reminding me"

"Surfed Ku'aihelani again?" the man laughed. Emily felt the sudden urge to punch the guy and run.

"I have, actually," JJ told him, matter-of-factly. The man looked shocked, his demeanour dropping. JJ smiled at him, before leading Emily out of the store.

"Asshole," she muttered under her breath. Looking at Emily, they both started laughing again.

xxx

"_Hey, JJ, you know that TV show, _20/20_?" Will called, entering the room._

"_Yeah, what about it?" JJ asked, looking up from the book she'd been reading to Henry._

"_Well, they called. They wanna give you a...prosthetic arm," Will said gently. JJ raised her eyebrows, but Will could tell she was excited._

"_Really?"_

"_It would be custom made, and they'll pay for the entire thing"_

"_Awesome"_

"_All you have to do is give a brief in'erview, wearin' the arm," Will explained._

"_I'll do it"_

xxx

It was strange to see hers and Wills back yard filled with cameras and strange people. Meilani lay contentedly in Emily's arms, chewing on her fingers. The team had turned up to support JJ, after hearing what was going on.

As the representative lifted the arm from the box, he told JJ the exact nature of the arm. "We have made this to your exact specifications. Doesn't it look real?"

JJ nodded, reaching forward and gently taking in what the prosthetic felt like. "Yeah...it's kinda weird how real it looks"

The rep lifted the arm, so they could all see the hand. "And, you can even paint the fingernails"

JJ smiled a little.

"Do you want to try it on?" the rep asked. JJ nodded again, glancing at Will with a half smile as the rep moved behind her and settled the prosthetic over her stump.

"Now, if you just take that strap, and I'll take this one...hold tight...there...how does that feel?"

The team felt a pang of sadness as the image of JJ with two arms befell them. Will was feeling exactly the same, and judging by JJ's expression, they could tell that she wasn't as all for it as she had been before.

"Um...it's ok," JJ said softly. Grabbing the hand, she pulled it gently, snapping the 'wrist' into a new position. Quickly, she tried to think of a way to test out its capabilities. "Let me just see how it works with my board"

The only way she could think of on the spot, JJ grabbed her board, laying it across the wooden strut table she used to scrape old wax off the surface. Placing the prosthetic hand on the left side, she made to push down.

"Uh uh, not weight bearing"

"How am I supposed to use it to push up on my board?"

"I think you might have to do that with the other arm," the cameraman said rudely, smirking at her.

"Just...give it a chance," Will said softly.

"How am I supposed to do anything with this, Will? Look at it!" JJ exclaimed, holding the prosthetic up with her hand and glaring at him. Moving over to the mirror, she turned side on, letting the arm fall. As the rep spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. The sight of herself with a left arm dredged up repressed memories. It was hard.

"Because the remainder of your arm is so short, mobility will be, um...limited, but there's so much-"

"Can we take it off, please?" JJ asked, fighting back the tears.

"-Every single thing-"

"Take it off, she said she wants you to take it off! And turn that off as well!" Will exclaimed protectively, stepping forward in front of the camera. The rep pulled on the strap. As he did, JJ pushed the arm away angrily, storming past everyone and back into the house.

"JJ!" Will called, going after her. Morgan looked at Emily sadly. Seeing JJ with two arms had made him feel guilty all over again.

xxx

JJ flopped backwards onto the bed, holding one of the photos from the day before the attack. It was one taken as she walked out of the water. Her board was under her right arm, and she was smiling widely, sort of laughing, looking off the right off the camera. All the sadness about having one arm that she had pushed away had come rushing back, telling her that instead of ignoring it, she was going to have to deal with it.

Holding the photo tightly, JJ used her pointer finger to carefully tear off the tiny portion of the photo in which her left arm was visible. Scrunching up the torn off piece, she threw it across the room.

"I like you better that way," Will said softly, from where he was standing in the doorway. JJ looked at him, rolling her eyes. Crossing the room, Will sank down beside her.

"I thought...at least with clothes on...I could look normal"

"Normal is so overrated, Jayje"

"People like normal!"

"Who?"

"Everyone"

"Not me. Normal is borin', Jayje. You, you're extraordin'ry, and that's what I love about you"

JJ sighed, looking away.

"What's that worth, right? Nothin'," Will huffed. Standing up, he moved across the room to JJ's laptop. Sitting down, he opened up the Internet.

"What are you doing?" JJ asked, rolling off the bed and walking over to Will, sitting down in his lap.

"When I was lil', my gran used to have this statue in her house. I didn' even think about 'til now," he said, opening up a picture file.

*"Venus de Milo," JJ said softly.

"For centuries, all 'round the world, she was considered the pinnacle of beauty. And she's got one less arm than you," Will said warmly, putting his arm around JJ's waist. JJ stayed silent, looking at the photo, before turning to Will.

"Yeah, but I can surf"

xxx

"Hi JJ, it's Daniel"

"Hi! How are you?"

"I'm good, yourself?"

"Not too bad"

"JJ, I'm calling because you've just received a _fantastic_ offer to spread your story even further, to get your message across"

"What would that be?"

"The people who called me...they want you to write a book"

**A/N: Soo, now JJ's journey is getting heavy and serious. I'm taking this in the same direction as Bethany's story, but obviously, different names, stuff like that.**

**Friend and I are still developing this surprise. You're going to love it.**

**Please leave a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	25. Roughed Up

**A/N: I'm trying to add a bit more humour to this chapter to lighten the mood. Tell me if I was successful, kay?**

**How epic was JJ's fight? I was like 'BADASSERY!'**

**Ok, for inspiration reasons, this is set around 'Closing Time'. Say the attack was why JJ was gone for an amount of time, to recuperate.**

**Now as for the firearms, I did a little research, and there wasn't anything that said someone with a missing arm COULDN'T possess a gun, so I'm going with that.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

JJ sat on the lounge, a pad of paper in her lap, a pen in her hand. She was staring into space while tapping the pen against the paper.

"JJ," Will said bluntly as he finished making sandwiches for them.

"Sorry," JJ said quickly, stopping the tapping. Will grabbed a bottle of lemonade from the fridge, pouring two glasses. As he put the lid back on the bottle, he realised she was doing it again.

"JJ," he called. JJ sighed in frustration.

"I don't know how to write a book! This is too hard, I'm going to strangle Daniel," she exclaimed, throwing her hand up. Will moved towards her, carrying their lunches on a tray. Setting it down on the coffee table, he sat down beside her. Gently, he took the paper and pen from her hand.

"Here's an idea. Why don't you just talk to me, an' I'll write it all down"

"Talk about what?"

"Anythin'. Your feelin's, what you've been through, how you coped...anything that comes to mind," Will said softly. JJ thought for a moment, before nodding and smiling. She took a moment to think before she softly began to speak.

"Well, the morning of the attack was like any other day. I didn't think twice about going surfing..."

xxx

They sat for about two hours. After JJ had found that it was easier that way, she had poured her heart out to Will. Some of the things she said had brought tears to Will's eyes as she spoke, especially when she talked about how terrified she had been to die, that all she'd wanted was to see Will and Henry one more time if she was going to die.

JJ had wound up curled against his chest as she spoke softly, watching as he wrote in his neat cursive. They had filled four pages with two hours of talking. JJ realised that she felt better about it all, having finally bared the truth and telling Will how she felt. It made her feel more at ease with her new life.

She was finally ready to accept it and move on.

xxx

"Will! Will! Will! WILL!" came JJ's shrieks from the lounge room. Will got up from the kitchen table, heading down the hallway.

"WILL!"

"Alright, cher, I'm comin'!" Will called back exasperatedly. Entering the lounge room, he found Henry standing on the coffee table, JJ perched on the couch, and Meilani gurgling as she played with one of her toys.

"There was a HUGE spider! It went under the couch! And Henry says he saw a cockroach over near the TV," JJ told him. Will laughed. JJ might be tough as nails when it came to her line of work and surfing with one arm, but if there were bugs within 1 foot, she was running in the opposite direction as fast as she could.

Will turned to see if he could see the cockroach, when Henry jumped off the table and ran out of the room, yelling 'SPIDER!' at the top of his lungs. JJ shrieked as the spider ran across the floorboards, coming out from underneath where she was sitting. Will grabbed a magazine, letting the spider run onto it, before carrying it to the front door and putting it outside. Moving back over to the couch, he lifted Meilani to his hip. She had grown so quickly, nearing five months old.

"Happy?" he teased. JJ smirked at him, sliding off the couch, walking hand in hand with Will as they went to find Henry.

xxx

Having re-taken a special firearms qualification to put her back in the field, JJ was feeling better than ever about being back at work full time.

But after an encounter with a man by the name of Michael, she felt pretty roughed up. Having charged at him, and somehow (even she didn't know) pushing him against the wall and punching him in the face at the same time, she had received a few retaliation hits of her own. And now, she was sitting in the back of an ambulance, looking, and feeling like hell.

"Spencer...I'm fine. I swear, it's just a scratch," she said softly as the paramedic wrapped a bandage around her arm.

"I don't know, I count two cuts, three bruises, a black eye, and possibly a fractured rib. I'm not telling you how to do your job, but you should probably consider giving her a cat scan," Spencer replied, watching her closely. JJ sighed, turning to the paramedic.

"Ignore him," she muttered under her breath. The paramedic almost laughed.

"You ok?" Hotch asked solemnly. JJ looked up, the light hitting her face and illustrating to everyone just how battered she was. Half smiling, she nodded.

"Yeah, I will be," she started. Looking away, she nodded towards Hunter. "What about him?"

They turned and watched as Hunter hugged his mother, crying tears of fear and relief.

xxx

Morgan laughed as he and JJ entered the bullpen. "Look, JJ, all I'm saying is I am _never_ making you angry again. I mean, who knew that Pennsylvania Petite could give such an ass whooping, with one hand?"

JJ grinned as she came to a stop at her desk. "Well, I'm just glad my hand to hand coach could work his schedule around my surfing, work, and family life"

"It's my pleasure," Morgan said softly. "I'm just really grateful that it all paid off"

JJ exhaled, raising her eyebrows and nodding.

"You were great out there. I'm proud of you," Morgan said warmly. They stood in a comfortable silence before he spoke again. "Why don't you get your little butt home? I'm sure Will's waiting on you"

JJ looked at her watch. "Ah, well, yeah, we did have dinner reservations, but um," she said, waving her hand in front of her face. "I'm thinking we'll do takeout instead"

Morgan chuckled, glad that for once, his colleague's insecurities had nothing to do with her arm.

"Thanks Derek," she finished. Morgan nodded.

"Yeah," he said softly, reaching out and placing his hand on her left shoulder. JJ reached across, patting his arm as he pulled away. Turning around, she grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder, and making her way out of the building to head home.

xxx

As she opened the front door, JJ heard Will call out.

"Cher? I got a message from Spencer. He said you got hurt-" Will stopped dead as he rounded the corner and caught sight of JJ. "Woah"

"This is nothing, you should see the other guy," JJ laughed. Will grinned, putting his arm around her as they went into the kitchen dining area. Henry looked up from his drawing, gasping when he saw his mommy's black eye.

"Mommy! Why is your eye purple?" he exclaimed, jumping off the chair and running over to her. JJ knelt down, wrapping her arm around him as he hugged her.

"I got into a fight," she explained. Henry frowned.

"Fighting bad, Mommy," he scolded. Will and JJ laughed. Meilani shrieked, making her presence known. JJ walked over to her rocker, lifting the baby girl out.

"Hi, sweetheart. Did you miss me? I missed you," she cooed, going back over to Will. Meilani replied by reaching up and winding her fingers through JJ's ponytail. JJ braced herself for the stab of pain as Meilani pulled.

"Ow," she groaned. Will gently untangled Meilani's fingers from her hair, lifting the baby girl from JJ's arms. They both laughed when they saw that Meilani had a very pleased look on her face.

xxx

_**Foreword**_

_Fame was something that had never crossed my mind, in the whole 32 years I've been around. I wasn't your typical eight year old girl, who dreamed of being the next world famous pop star, or award winning actress._

_I played soccer and walked around in my older brother's T-shirts._

_But now, I'm known pretty much all over the world, which is a little scary for me, because I'm so used to my private little life in Washington DC. In fact, just the other day, I got a phone call from a family friend of mine, who's a tenth grade art teacher at an international school in a small town in Northern Malaysia. Apparently, all the girls in her class are my number one fans. Which is more than a little bizarre, because 1) only a few speak fluent English and 2) I didn't realise my story had been spread to small towns in places like Malaysia and Brunei._

_So yes, it is strange. I'm still learning to cope with it all, but some days, it can feel like I'm being smothered. I know one thing for certain though. I never would have made it through if I didn't have the love and support of a small group of amazing people, only a few of which are blood related, but they are all my family anyway._

_There's my parents. When I first told them what had happened, they were shocked, but accepting and supportive. It took a little while for them to adjust to the fact that their daughter had lost an arm, but eventually, they moved on. And ever since, they've just been amazing, which is the only word I can think of to describe how I feel about them at the moment._

_Then there's Will. We found each other in New Orleans in early 2007, while my team and I were working a case there. We started flying back and forth between DC and New Orleans whenever we had the time. A year later, I discovered I was pregnant with our son, Henry, and we made our relationship concrete. Will gave up his detective shield, and moved to DC._

_Then there's my team. Aaron Hotchner, David Rossi, Derek Morgan, Emily Prentiss, Dr Spencer Reid, and Penelope Garcia. My extended family. My best friends. I love them so much, it's probably almost wrong, because I see them as the brothers and sisters I never had. They were amazingly supportive of me, and I will always be grateful that they were in Hawaii with me when I was attacked, because I don't think I would've coped without them._

_Needless to say, I never could've dealt with this on my own. I don't think anyone could, despite what you might think. It's a hard road, but I'm glad that, despite my lost limb, I got the chance to walk down it. It opened my eyes to how easy it could be to lose everything, and how you have to take every opportunity you get, because you may not get another chance._

**A/N: Chapters of JJ's book will now appear in each chapter :D**

**Please read and review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	26. Turtle Bay

**A/N: Fanfiction's being a bum.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

JJ felt that familiar flutter of excitement as the plane touched down on the runway in Kauai. Having started Thanksgiving-Christmas vacation just a few days earlier, she, Will, Henry, and Meilani were back in Hawaii for the surf competition.

Meilani had thankfully slept the majority of the way from DC. The rest of the time, Will had been smitten with her, entertaining her with toys, and various little hand tricks.

As they lugged their bags and JJ's surfboard off the arrivals belt, exiting the airport, JJ felt more relieved than ever to escape DC, even if it was only for a week.

xxx

"Ok, here at Turtle Bay today, in our Division C group, we have, in black, Rebecca Hampton, in pink, Sara Gregson, in yellow, Monique Friad, in orange, Zoe Madson, in white, Jessica Court, and in blue, Jennifer Jareau. All these ladies are amateur competitors, but from the entry videos and tryouts, we're expecting a tough competition today!" the announcer called out.

Bethany stood beside Will, Alana at her other side. They were all ramped up, waiting to see what JJ would pull out in competition.

"The girls will be allowed to catch ten waves per heat, and will be scored on their best two waves, which will be added up for the final score...and we've got Zoe, in orange, paddling into her first wave!"

Will watched as the surfer, Zoe, pulled a series of snaps and carves, before going over the top of the wave to finish off.

"And the judges have given Zoe's wave a 7.2. Great start for the surfer in orange!"

JJ paddled determinedly, just taking the inside off of Rebecca. All her training with Morgan, who was her surf coach as well as self defence, had really paid off. He had trained her exceptionally well in beating out paddle battles with one arm.

Taking the drop, JJ felt great as she drew out her bottom turn, pulling a huge snap off the top, spraying water over Rebecca, who was padding behind the wave.

"Big snap off the top for Jennifer! Nice technique as she carves under the lip...she draws her bottom turn again, and...hooks it one more time!"

JJ rose up over the wave, dropping back down onto her board as she paddled back out to the line-up.

"The judges have given Jennifer a 6.5! Not a bad start for her!"

The competition went on, heat after heat, until it came to the final heat for the amateur division. JJ had caught a bunch of waves, and had easily made it into the last heat.

"I'm proud o' you, cher. You're doin' great!" Will said as she walked up onto the beach for the ten minute break.

"JJ, you're doing awesome. Much better than _my_ first comp with one arm," Bethany laughed. JJ grinned.

"It's all thanks to Derek. He's a tough trainer. Otherwise, I would never had beat out half those battles for a wave," she explained, taking a swig of water to try and get rid of the taste of salt from her throat.

"Ok, for the final heat, we have, Zoe and Monique tied for first with an 8.6! Jessica is in second with a 7.2, Jennifer in third with a 6.5, Sara in fourth with a 5.4, and Rebecca in fifth with a 5.1. Let's see just how much that might change as we head into the final stage of the competition!"

After a strong start, JJ had managed to hold tight. When Zoe scored a 9.1, bumping her into first, and JJ into fourth, JJ saw her chance to get back, spying a nice wave headed for her. Turning at the same time as Jessica, she paddled determinedly, feeling the pull of gravity as she placed her hand flat on the stringer and stood up.

"Jennifer's dropped into a solid wave there! Nice carve off the lip...and a low 360!"

JJ spun the board again, this time dropping back to the bottom with the board facing out towards sea. Cutting a turn the way Morgan had showed, she hooked up a large snap off the top, before diving over the top into the cool salty water.

"The judges give JJ an 8.7, which bumps her back into third place ahead of Jessica, as this competition comes to a close, here, at Turtle Bay!"

JJ was exhausted, but happy with the result as she walked back up onto the beach, hugging Will and Bethany in turn. Alana also hugged her, careful not to squish little Meilani, who was nestled comfortably in the pro surfer's arms.

"You did a great job, well done!" Bethany gushed. JJ nodded, trying to catch her breath.

"Wow, I'm tired," she managed to say. Will laughed, putting his arm around her, and taking Henry's hand as they walked up to where the final results would be announced.

"In third place, with a final score of 15.2, we have Jennifer Jareau!" the announcer said loudly. JJ smiled as she took the trophy from the awarder's hand. Will wolf-whistled, making her laugh.

"In second place, with a final score of 17.1, we have Monique Friad...and in first, with a final score of 17.7, we have Zoe Madson!"

Everyone clapped and cheered as Zoe took her trophy, waving it around a bit as her friends and family made their proud support known.

"This was a great start to competition from all these ladies. We only hope they continue to compete in the future!"

As JJ, Monique, and Zoe hopped off the podium, JJ tapped Zoe on the shoulder. "Hey, Zoe. Well done. You were great out there"

Zoe smiled. "Thanks. You're not too shabby yourself. And considering you have one arm, well, you were brilliant in my standards," she replied warmly. JJ smiled, waving as she headed back over to where her proud supporters were waiting.

xxx

"So, how did you like that, cher?" Will asked, sitting on the counter while JJ showered.

"It was actually a lot more fun than I expected it to be. You know, it's hard, and really competitive, but I like competitive. I really liked it," JJ replied as she rinsed shampoo out of her hair. Will grinned.

"Is that 'cause o' your soccer days?"

"Possibly," JJ laughed as she rubbed conditioner through her hair. A whole day in the salt water had left her hair feeling like straw.

After rinsing out the conditioner, and changing into her pyjamas, JJ sat in the V of Will's legs while he gently worked the tangles out of her hair. Henry was sound asleep, exhausted from the excitement of watching Mommy surf. Meilani was also sound asleep, sighing every now and then.

JJ held her trophy in her hand. She ran her thumb over the gold plaque that stated '_Turtle Bay Women's Amateur Surfing: 3rd Place_'. The figure on the top was posed in a tube ride, arms out to the side.

"You did good today, cher. For your first comp, that was an amazin' finish. I'm proud o' you," Will said softly, brushing her hair back from her neck and kissing her neck softly. JJ sighed with pleasure, leaning into his touch. When the kisses turned feverish, she stopped him.

"Henry-"

"Is lost in his dreams. We'll be super quiet," Will whispered, taking the trophy from her hand and placing it on the bedside table.

**_Early Years_**

_My parents are incredible people. They've always supported me, no matter what. Dad was the one who inspired me, and taught me to surf. Mom was the one who helped me figure out a way to get into college. A lot of the things I do, and who I am, comes directly from my parents. They both worked very hard to get to where they are today, and that state of mind inspired me to strive for a scholarship when my grades slipped too far to get into college._

_I was born in Pennsylvania in July of 1980, into a family of four. I had two older siblings, Jackson, my brother, who was five when I came along, and Jordan, my older sister, who was seven. _

_I grew up in a fairly normal, loving family. Despite the fact that my sister and I fought to no end once I figured out how to yank her hair hard enough, we all loved each other. To outsiders, we seemed dysfunctional. At some times, we were, like when my mom and dad forgot to tell each other their daily routines when they had to switch for a day, and I ended up waiting an hour at school. But we took it all day by day, and made sure it was obvious that we loved each other._

_My mom and dad met In Los Angeles, on Manhattan Beach, in 1969. Dad was surfing, while Mom was sitting with her friends, admiring that 'surfer with a rockin' bod' (because he's my dad, I don't see it, but I let Mom believe what she wants). When Dad got out of the water, Mom got the guts to go up and introduce herself._

_A day later, they went on their first date._

_A year later, Dad proposed._

_A year after that, they got married._

_By this time, it was 1971. They moved to East Allegheny near Christmas of that year, in search of a quiet, uninterrupted life. And they found it. They lived in peace for a year before Jordie was born, and two years after that, Jack made the 'perfect' (yeah, right) addition to their family._

_When I was about six years old, Mom and Dad took us all on a vacation to Santa Barbara during our summer break. When Dad went surfing, I was just fascinated by the sport. I begged him to teach me. He offered to teach all of us, but Jordie, being thirteen, was more interested in tanning, and Jack preferred to stick to his bodyboard._

_Mom and Dad set about showing me how to stand up on a surfboard. When Dad pushed me into my first wave, even though I was only little, I knew that I wanted to surf for a long time, no matter what I ended up doing as I grew up._

_It took me four years before I could catch waves on my own. It's not as easy as you think, especially when you're about 4 foot tall with arms that are probably too short for your body. Paddling needs a lot of arm power, something I didn't have until I was about nine. I was just too small, and too skinny for the needs of surfing. Dad always did say I needed some meat on my bones._

_In 1991, we were preparing to go on another vacation to Santa Barbara, when tragedy struck our family. Jordie committed suicide, rocking our family to the core. Being only eleven years old, I didn't fully understand the depth of what Jordie had done, but I knew that it wasn't right. All I could understand was that she had killed herself._

_As I grew older, and began to understand in more detail the full extent of my sister's death, I turned to surfing to clear my mind. Anytime we were on the coast, I was in the waves. If we were in Pennsylvania, I turned to belting the crap out of a soccer ball. My grades began to slip as my mind grasped the full details, the full horror of Jordie's suicide. I wanted nothing more than to escape East Allegheny, to escape the rumours, whispers, rejection, and stares I copped everywhere. People who were new to town only knew me as 'that girl who's sister killed herself', despite the fact that it had been nearly four years._

_I realised that I wasn't going anywhere if I couldn't get into college, so I concentrated all my energy on soccer, and earned a scholarship to Pittsburgh. _

_It was the escape I had dreamed of. _

_After listening in on one of my now colleagues, David Rossi, give a lecture in the library, I decided that the FBI was my goal. I applied the next fall, and got a position as the media liaison in Quantico's Behavioural Analysis Unit._

_And the rest is history._

**A/N: I felt that that chapter was rushed. There'll be more indepth stuff on JJ's background later.**

**Please review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	27. Will

**A/N: I'm learning to surf in six days! So I can tell you now, I'll be seriously inspired when I get home!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Meilani lunged forward, tearing the paper off of one of her Christmas presents. Henry was ecstatic to find a G.I. Joe doll under the wrapping paper, and immediately got Will to take it out of the box.

JJ helped Meilani to tear the paper off, revealing a teddy bear that could be drawn on. Of course, accompanied by non-toxic markers for curious children who wanted to taste test.

While JJ wrestled it out of the box, Meilani pulled the big box from Henry's Hot Wheels track over her head. Will started laughing as she began to crawl around under the box, catching JJ's attention. JJ grinned, reaching out and tapping on the top of the box. Meilani's muffled little squeal of surprise made them all laugh.

"What are you doin', baby girl?" Will drawled. Sliding off the couch to sit beside his precious daughter, he lifted the box. Meilani squealed, laughing as Daddy's grinning face appeared. Will put the box back down on top of her, grinning when she laughed and began to bang on the side of the box. JJ smiled, watching father and daughter play together, only breaking her gaze when Henry crawled into her lap.

"Hi sweetie. Having fun?" she asked. Henry nodded, smiling as he reached under the tree and pulled out a gift wrapped in homemade wrapping paper.

"'Dis for you, Mommy. From me," he said sweetly. JJ felt tears prick her eyes as she gently set it down beside her and pulled Henry into a hug.

"You open it!" Henry said excitedly. JJ laughed, reaching down and using her fingernails to pull the paper off of her present. When she finally got it off, she revealed a beautiful snow globe, painted in bright blues and greens, with a surfer perched on top of a curling wave inside.

"Henry, that's beautiful. Thank you," she said softly, hugging him again. Standing up, she held the snow globe in her hand, and beckoned for Henry to follow her. They walked over to the fireplace on the far wall, on top of which sat JJ's 3rd place trophy.

"Put it there!" Henry said excitedly. JJ handed him the snow globe, and lifted him up.

"You put it wherever you like," she said. Henry contemplated for a minute, before sitting it next to her trophy. "Perfect"

JJ laughed, letting him back down. Turning around, she found a box moving in her direction.

"Who might this be?" she teased, kneeling down and lifting the box up. Meilani squealed, bursting into a fit of baby laughter, almost tipping over. JJ had to laugh, picking the baby girl up and carrying her back over to the Christmas tree. Henry had already roped Will into setting up his 'big' present; a Nintendo Wii. JJ and Will had agreed on it, because it would be fun for all of them, and because he'd been begging for one since his birthday the year before.

While JJ decided which present to give Meilani next, Meilani reached forward, hooking her fingers around the big fluffy Santa ornament on the tree. JJ quickly placed her hand flat against the baby girl's chest, preventing her from falling. Kneeling down, she placed Meilani on the floor, and handed her one of the presents. And again, the routine started. Meilani lunged straight for the paper, tearing off huge strips at a time.

xxx

Emily stretched up, kissing her tall, dark, handsome boyfriend as they slowly danced around the living room. Christmas had been a private affair for them, filled with sweet kisses, presents, romantic meals, and plenty of adult fun. Derek had never felt more complete in his life. After JJ's attack, he and Emily had bonded over the traumatic events that had almost taken a dear friend from them. While he still felt guilty for suggesting the particular beach, and he wished it had never happened, part of him was grateful that his relationship with Emily had come from it.

xxx

After Henry and Meilani had gone to sleep that night, JJ and Will sat in the window seat in their bedroom, watching the snow fall. They sat at opposite ends, facing each other. Will was absently massaging JJ's calf as he gazed out the window, reminiscing on the past. This time last year, he and JJ had been...well, celebrating their engagement. And now, the special day was almost upon them. Only a few more weeks, and it would be official.

Looking over at JJ, he took in her beautiful features, illuminated by the sliver of moonlight coming in through the window. Her brilliant blue eyes got him every time. Will constantly found himself wondering how he'd ever gotten so lucky to have JJ. At the same time, he wondered how JJ couldn't see how beautiful she was.

"What are you thinking about?" JJ said softly, the corners of her mouth turned up in a small smile. Will smiled softly, sighing and leaning back.

"You"

JJ blushed slightly, her cheeks turning a light rosy pink. Will loved it when she blushed. He loved that he could _make_ her blush. Sometimes all the way down to her-

"What about me?" JJ asked quietly, breaking his train of thought. Will gently pulled her closer to him, until she was sitting in his lap.

"Everythin'. Your incredible blue eyes...your darn sexy body-"

JJ blushed again, only this time, a deeper shade of pink. Will chuckled, kissing her temple and holding her close. They sat in silence for a while before another thought crossed Will's mind.

"Are you gonna compete again, cher?"

JJ sat up, shifting so she was looking straight at him. "Well, Bethany told me that if I place again in another amateur competition, I have a good chance of getting into Regionals...which sounds exciting, so I think my answer is yes"

Will grinned, pulling her close again. He loved her enthusiasm, her determination. He felt an incredible sense of pride whenever he thought back to what she'd achieved over the last 15 months.

After a few minutes, JJ began kissing him softly, chastely at first, but it quickly turned feverish. Before they knew it, their passion was exerted, and they were lying naked under the covers, flushed and covered in a thin layer of sweat. JJ lay half asleep against Will's chest, a sliver of blue visible beneath her long lashes. Will slowly ran his hand over the smooth expanse of her back, feeling the silkiness of her skin. Her tan was beginning to fade, after a full year since their last trip to Hawaii (he and JJ still hadn't figured out why it had lasted so long). Coming to the back of her hipbone, Will slowly danced his fingers along her side, feeling the faint edge of her ribs. JJ sighed softly, looking up and smiling at him. As he reached the end of her stump, Will stopped.

He knew every curve of her body better than the back of his hand. But the shape and feel of her stump was still new to him.

He'd never really taken notice of how it sat against JJ's body. Mainly because it didn't bother him, and he had fairly quickly adjusted to the fact that she had one arm.

Along her collarbone, right across to her shoulder, everything was exactly how it would be if she still had her left arm. About an inch down from where her shoulder joint was, the remainder of her arm curved down towards the side of her body. The outer curve met the underside of her stump about a centimetre away from the side of her ribs. Underneath her arm, there was a scar where the skin had been grafted to the stub of her arm. And one on the outer side as well.

Will's fingers traced every curve, every scar on her stump, leaving a tingling trail. By the time he had reached her shoulder, JJ was ready to fling him over and have her wicked way with him.

"You're so beautiful," Will said softly, kissing her deeply. It wasn't long before the fire was re-kindled.

xxx

_**Will**_

_I first met Will in 2007. My team had been offered a case in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Will, or Detective William LaMontagne Jr. was the lead detective. His father, William LaMontagne Snr. Had been working the case for a long time, but was unable to crack it before he was killed in Hurricane Katrina. Will had made it his goal to close the case for his Daddy. The first thing he said to me when I introduced myself ("Hi, I'm Agent Jareau, we spoke on the phone") was "Ok then. Pictured you different". I immediately thought he was cute, which is so schoolgirl of me, but I just couldn't help myself. Will just has this gorgeous accent. He drawls everything he says. Not to mention the fact that he's got his looks going for him too. His hair is short, and kind of mussed all the time, but his eyes are even more incredible. They're a golden brown, and you can tell what he's feeling just by looking into his eyes._

_Will and I spent a lot of time together while working the case, and at one point, he flirted with me by asking why I wasn't married yet. I got jealous when another woman in the bar gave him a drink. And Will called me a lousy liar. Which made me laugh._

_When we finally closed the case, Will admitted that he would feel lost without the case to solve, but especially because I was going so far away. And that's not bragging or anything, that's the legit description of what he said to me. I gave him my number, and he called me a few days later._

_We began taking it in turns to fly between New Orleans and DC to spend time together. Our relationship was long distance, but steady, and before long, I was madly in love with him. _

_But about a year later, we ran across rocky terrain when we connected through another case. I hadn't told my team about our relationship, Will was touchy about it, and we ended up breaking up (the break up lasted about two days). When the case closed, Will was almost out the door of the precinct when I caught up to him, let off some ramble about why I hadn't told my team, and ended up making out with him in the entry hall._

_And it turned out that everyone on the team had known since that case in New Orleans. Which still makes me laugh whenever I think about it._

_A few weeks later, after a slightly scary stalker case (stalker cases are never easy), I called Will and dropped a bombshell over the phone, which I probably shouldn't have done, but did anyway; I was pregnant. Will immediately decided to move to DC, and while I was on another case in New York (yeah, we seem to have a lot of drama while on cases), he showed up out of the blue, and created a situation where I ended up having to tell Emily, Spencer, and Hotch that I was pregnant. That was when he gave up his shield in order to be a stay at home daddy to our baby._

_After sorting out a few kinks, Will moved to DC, and I worked right up until I went into labour with Henry, who was born fifteen hours later. Henry is an absolute gem today, I can't believe he'll be five at the end of the year._

_Our relationship remained solid between my getting pregnant and Hawaii. The first two days in Hawaii were absolute bliss. For once, I felt like I was part of a normal family. Normal constituting the fact that I had quality time with my son, something that's a rarity when you work for the FBI. _

_The morning of July 26, I kissed Will goodbye, and told him I would see him around lunchtime. I kissed Henry's cheek, and told him I would be back in time to go looking for shells. _

_Next thing I knew, I was lying on Ku'aihelani Beach, a soggy rash guard tied around the stub of my arm as well as two surf leashes, with Morgan and Rossi's faces swimming in and out of focus. I'm pretty sure that a few times, I whimpered that I wanted Will. I might work for the FBI, and run the risk of getting shot at every time I go into the field, but I was terrified at that point, wanting nothing more than for Will to hold my hand and tell me that everything was going to be ok. _

_I remember being pulled out of the ambulance at the hospital, and suddenly Will was by my side. He was white as a sheet (I'm pretty sure I could have rivalled that though, I'd lost so much blood), and he cupped my cheek in his hand and told that everything was going to be ok. I vaguely remember hearing him say that he loved me before I succumbed to unconsciousness._

_When I woke up after surgery, Will kissed my forehead, and whispered 'Thank god you're alive'. He stayed with me for most of the first few days, comforting me whenever I got upset, distracting me when I was in pain, and convincing me that everything would be ok. _

_I know it was hard on him. He had to adjust to the fact that his girlfriend only had one arm. But he barely showed that it was taking a toll. He was sweeter than ever. He defended me if people made snide comments, which a lot of people did, he helped me when I was really struggling, and he made me feel like I had nothing to worry about._

_As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months, Will was just amazing. He supported me through every decision I made, and was always there for me. I had a lot of times where I would literally just break down and cry, usually over how I looked or how hard it was to cope. Every single time, no complaints, without fail, Will would just hold me while I cried, whisper words of comfort and reassurance in my ear, and wipe away the tears I cried._

_I'm not kidding; I owe my sanity to Will._

_We went back to Hawaii that same year, for Christmas. After giving me a very, very expensive Christmas present, professionally made competition standard surfboard, with a custom handle rigged on the top, which had to have set him back by almost eight hundred dollars, Will proposed to me on Christmas night. I got all teary, because I don't have a left hand for the engagement ring, and legit burst into tears when he showed me that he'd put it on a chain to wear around my neck. He'd thought of everything._

_In late May 2012, our daughter Meilani was born. She was named after Bethany Hamilton, who along with Will, helped me through the hardest parts of coping. Will's absolutely smitten with Meilani. She's got him wrapped around her finger._

_When the year anniversary of my attack arrived, Will was too sweet. He ordered a special cake, shaped like a '1', and with photos of us printed on it in edible ink. He also wrote a letter, which I still have. It's a very moving letter, and because I want to show you guys just how much of a sweetheart he is, I'm going to share it with you:_

'Dear JJ,

You made it a year. That on its own is amazing, to me anyway. This year certainly has been a rollercoaster ride. I know it's been difficult for you, and I'm glad that in most situations, you seem to be able to see the light. In the last year, I've never really had a chance to properly tell you exactly how I feel. So, I'm going to sum it up for you.

First off, I'm just ecstatic that I got to spend another year with you, and that we're going to be spending the rest of our lives together. I was heartbroken that day, when Spencer came to our room and told me that you'd been attacked by a shark. I thought I wasn't going to get to see you again. And the one thing that kept running through my mind was 'If today is JJ's last day, I at least want a chance to see her beautiful blue eyes again and to tell her that no matter what, I love her'. When they pulled you out of the ambulance, I was in shock. I hadn't realised how bad the attack had been. My heart cracked in two, and I had to fight back tears. I had to be strong for you.

But you, being the tough little cookie you are, showed that shark who's boss, and left the hospital two weeks later. I had never felt so lucky, than at that moment, to still have you in my life.

I know you sometimes can't help the insecurities you feel, but if this is any reassurance...you're absolutely beautiful, and I love you just the way you are. I wouldn't change anything about you for the world. You have a beautiful body, and an incredible personality to go with it. I hate seeing you so upset over how you look, because I know for a fact that everyone on your team thinks you're gorgeous as well, inside and out. When I first met you, I couldn't believe you were single. I thought you were playing me. But no, here we are, five years later.

I want you to know that I am so incredibly proud of you for everything you've had thrown at you in the last twelve months. I don't know anyone else who would be able to take the amount of, mind my language, shit you've had to deal with. And somehow, you still find the time to smile. Which only makes you more beautiful than you already are, because you have an incredible smile.

Whatever happens in the future, I am right by your side, and I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be here for you when you need someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on, or someone to hold you. I'll always love you, as will Henry and Meilani. How could we not?

Let's battle on through the many years to come, and make them as memorable as the last five years have been.

I love you...no matter how many times I've said it by now, it's still true. I love you.

-Will'

_We're getting married very soon. I'm incredibly excited, because I love him more than anything. It's been a rocky 15 months, but I'm glad Will was by my side the entire time, because I never would have made it without his incredible love and support._

**A/N: WOW! I wrote a lot about her thoughts on Will. That turned into the biggest chapter of her book so far.**

**More to come shortly!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	28. Tying The Knot

**A/N: Heard you were back in town. I heard you were comin' round. Tryin' to get off the ground. Every road you went down. **

'**Fire and Rain' by Mat Kearney. He's an amazing singer, I highly recommend listening to 'Runaway', the song he wrote and sang for 'Soul Surfer'.**

**This chapter won't feature a chapter of JJ's book 'Heart of A Soul Surfer' (I'm pretending Bethany's documentary was never made, so that JJ's string of stuff can be named with that)**

**Guys, I enabled anonymous reviews, you DON'T need an account to review! I would really love to know what people think of this story! If everyone who read it reviewed, I would be a happy girl :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

"_I'm here to pick up the dress I asked you to hold," JJ said, ignoring Emily and Garcia's excited outbursts behind her. Lacy smiled._

"_Couldn't find anything else?"_

"_No, I just really liked this one"_

JJ slowly turned around to face the full length mirror she was standing in front of. Emily and Penelope stood either side of her, both wearing huge smiles.

JJ couldn't believe how she looked. Her dress fit her perfectly, hugging her figure before flaring out at her waist. Her hair was curled in soft waves that fell over her shoulders, the top layer pulled up and clipped at the back of her head. The chain holding her engagement ring shone from where it sat around her neck.

"Jayje...you look beautiful," Penelope gushed. JJ blushed, turning away from the mirror, and gasping in surprise at who was standing in the doorway.

Jackson.

"Oh my god!" she said excitedly, going over to her brother and throwing her arm around him. Jackson smiled, hugging his little sister tightly. Emily and Penelope both smiled at the moment, before walking into the next room to give JJ a moment with her brother.

"Jen...wow, you look so different to when I last saw you," Jackson said softly as they broke apart. JJ raised her eyebrows, and gestured to her stump. Jackson laughed. "No, not just that. It _has_ been five years since I saw you," he explained.

"I know...I was going to tell you myself when it happened, but I didn't know where you were, and I didn't have your new cell number"

"July 2011...I think I was in Canada. Or Australia. One of the two," Jackson said thoughtfully. JJ laughed, shaking her head. Her brother was definitely what she would call a free spirit.

"I've missed you," she admitted. Jackson put his arm around her, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"I've missed you too, Jen. I was going to come and see you after Mom and Dad told me what happened in Hawaii, but things started coming up. However, when Dad told me you getting married, I made it concrete that I would be at your wedding," he said warmly.

"Well, I'm glad you're here. It means a lot to me"

xxx

Henry walked alongside JJ's niece, Tayla, who was the flower girl, looking absolutely adorable in his little tuxedo. Emily was carrying Meilani, who looked just as cute in a little sky blue dress.

JJ stood by her father's side, feeling a little nervous, but happy that the special day had finally arrived.

"Jen...don't be nervous," Peter said softly, reading his daughter's mind. JJ gave him a gentle smile, squeezing his hand.

"I'm ok," she said reassuringly. Peter smiled.

"You look so beautiful, Jen. I'm very proud of you. I love you so much," he said gently, linking his arm with hers.

"I love you too, Daddy"

xxx

Will watched the crowd expectantly, seeing Jessica sitting with Jack, Meilani now on her lap. He looked towards the back, and saw a tall, muscular man with blonde hair, sitting beside a young woman, and a little girl. He knew that that was JJ's brother, sister-in-law, and youngest niece.

A soft tune began playing, as everyone rose to their feet. Will turned his attention back to the aisle as JJ slowly walked out with her father. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he took in how beautiful she looked. He kept his eyes on her the whole time. After they had joined Will in front of their friends and family, her dad kissed her cheek, before going to sit down. Will took JJ's hand, squeezing it gently.

"We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of William LaMontagne Jr. and Jennifer Jareau..."

xxx

Will reached behind JJ, carefully unclasping the chain around her neck. With care, he slid the wedding band onto the chain to join her engagement ring. Once it was in place, he gently put the chain back around her neck.

"This ring I give as a token and pledge of my love and devotion, with this ring I thee wed," he said as he clipped the chain in place. JJ took his ring between her fingers, and slid it onto his left ring finger.

"This ring I give as a token and pledge of my love and devotion, with this ring I thee wed," she said softly, never breaking her gaze from his eyes.

"William, you may kiss the bride," the priest said warmly. Will lifted the thin veil covering her face, leaning in and kissing her gently as everyone started clapping around them. JJ smiled as she pulled away, not wanting to break eye contact with Will.

"May I present to you, Mr and Mrs LaMontagne," the priest announced as the now married couple turned to face the watching crowd of friends and family, who were clapping still.

Will took JJ's hand, squeezing it as they walked back down the aisle, towards the waiting car that would take them to their reception.

"I love you," Will said, as he slid into the car after JJ. JJ didn't reply, just leaned in and kissed him.

xxx

"Jen, your mother and I are extremely proud of you. You've overcome so many obstacles since you were just a little girl, and you manage to keep your chin up and smile. I've always felt very lucky to call you my daughter, and I only hope that lasts for the rest of my life. I wish you and Will all the happiness in your marriage, and just remember that we love you. Here's to JJ and Will," Peter said warmly, looking at his daughter where she stood next to him, Will's arm around her, as they all raised their champagne glasses. JJ hastily wiped her eyes, feeling an onslaught of tears. Peter stepped towards her, kissing her cheek and hugging her tightly. As he moved back to sit next to his wife, JJ and Will stepped up to the microphone.

"I actually have something I would like to say...I'm not trying to make this depressing, but it's important," JJ started. Feeling Will squeeze her hand, she took a deep breath and continued. "I'm pretty sure most of you know that I was attacked by a shark in July 2011. It was a long road to find the self confidence and strength I needed to get back to a somewhat normal life. But I never would have made it without the love and support of a very special group of people. My team, who I've known for too long to just consider them colleagues anymore, came through for me in ways I never would have imagined. But the one person who made it that much easier was Will. He was always my shoulder to cry on, the one I could always turn to. I never doubted that he would support me. And I consider myself the luckiest girl in the world to call him my husband. I love you, Will," she said softly, stretching up and kissing him chastely.

JJ kept her gaze fixed on Will's eyes as they slowly danced around the floor. His hands were flat on her back, holding her close. JJ had her arm up around his neck, her hand resting behind his right shoulder. They were barely aware of their first dance finishing, and others beginning to join them on the dance floor.

"Do you think we can sneak out?" JJ whispered in his ear. Will grinned.

"Judgin' by the show Spencer and your brother are puttin' on, I'm sure no-one would notice, let alone care," he joked. JJ looked back over her shoulder, chuckling as she saw her brother getting Spencer drunk. Poor Spence was going to have the hangover of a lifetime in the morning...but it was probably worth it just to see the young genius incapable of anything for one night.

Will grabbed JJ's hand, gently pulling her out the back door of the building, out into the cool air. Shrugging off his jacket, he draped it over her shoulders, helping her shrug her arm through the sleeve. They slowly walked alongside each other, hands linked, wedding bands glinting in the moonlight.

"You look so beautiful tonight, Jen," Will said warmly, stopping as they reached a water fountain that sat out in the gardens behind the building. JJ blushed, smiling as they sat down on the bench around the fountain. Will gently cupped her cheek in his hand, leaning in and pressing his lips to hers softly. JJ deepened the kiss, putting her arm around the back of his neck to pull him closer.

They made out privately in the moonlight, disturbed by no-one. When they broke apart, JJ's eyes were shining brightly.

"JJ?"

"I love you so much, I can't even say it enough times," JJ said softly, pulling him towards her for another kiss.

"Hmm, well I love you just as much. Why do you think I wan'ed to marry you?" Will mumbled. JJ giggled as his hands ran up and down her sides. The kiss deepened, as Will's hands slowed, coming to rest on the small of her back. He could hardly believe it. He'd married the woman of his dreams. A strong, beautiful, smart, courageous woman, who he was going to spend the rest of his life making happy.

**A/N: Chapter 29 will be along either tomorrow morning, or next week. **

**You don't need an account to review! Please review!**

**SQ215 xx**


	29. Tahiti

**A/N: Surfing. Was. Incredible! I didn't stand up, but I caught two waves on my belly, on a shortboard! (Which is really hard for beginners! But there was no long or foam board available). I also almost got up on my knees, and the rush was just amazing. Definitely keeping this hobby :D**

**Please check out my friend's (WalkWithShadows) story that her and I are co-writing (my part will be up ASAP). It's a Harry Potter Criminal Minds Xover (maybe what some of you love to read?), and we would love reviews! It focuses on Rose and Henry, so lots of adorableness, but it is sad, just warning. It is called Cancer. Please, please read. We would much appreciate it.**

**IMPORTANT! Please vote in my poll on my profile page! It will help me come to an important decision that MUST be made!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM!**

"_JJ...welcome to Tahiti,"_ _Will said softly, removing his hands from over his wife's eyes as they stepped out of the airport. JJ was in awe as she took in the clear sky, the deep green palm trees, and the warm sun. Much like Hawaii...but with its own natural beauty._

Will smiled warmly as JJ pulled him into the water, through the gentle rollers that were less than a foot high. When they reached the waist deep water, he surprised her by spinning her around and lifting her up a little, holding her firmly as he kissed her gently. JJ smiled, draping her arm around behind his neck.

"You're such a cliché romantic," she teased, kissing him again. Will grinned.

"I couldn' help myself"

"I'm not complaining," JJ whispered, moving in for a deeper kiss.

xxx

"No...stay there," JJ mumbled, exhausted from the bout of passion she and Will had shared.

"Cher, I'm too heavy...I'll hurt you," Will protested. JJ pulled him closer. "Here, cher, hold on"

Cradling her against him, he rolled to his side, holding his wife in close to his chest. JJ looked up, kissing him briefly. Will smiled, brushing her hair off of her face with the tips of his fingers.

"That was fun," JJ mumbled. Will grinned, kissing her temple.

"You bet it was," he teased lightly. This time, JJ grinned.

Will held her close, rubbing her back lightly as they both drifted off to sleep in each other's arms. Or as JJ liked to point out on a daily basis, he fell asleep in her arm.

xxx

JJ laughed as Will flopped onto the long board.

"I can' believe you're doin' this," he groaned as he finally found stability. JJ giggled as she lay down on her board.

"I spend enough time in the water. If you learn to surf, there's more time right there that we can spend together," she reasoned.

"Fair enough, I guess. Am I likely to get hurt?"

"Only if you fall on a reef," JJ said simply. Will looked worried for a minute, making her laugh.

JJ showed him how to paddle, and watched as he put it into practise. She couldn't help but laugh when he overbalanced and fell off the surfboard.

When Will surfaced, he found JJ floating in front of him, fighting back laughter. "Haha, very funny, cher"

"You're cute when you're uncoordinated," JJ giggled. Will looked shocked.

"An' who says I'm uncoordinated?"

"Me," JJ laughed.

"Right, that's it!" Will said, moving towards her and tickling her. JJ screamed, trying to push him away, but only causing herself to roll off her board into the water. Will laughed when she came back up looking thoroughly drowned.

"That's a good look, cher," Will teased, referring to her wet hair which was hanging over her face. JJ flicked it back, revealing that she was grinning.

"You're so getting it for that. Look out," she warned. Will pretended to look scared before climbing back onto his board.

JJ got Will to paddle into small waves, and try to push up onto his knees, resulting in him falling off the board. She laughed as he waded through the water to her, the board dragging behind him. Will threw his arms around her, slinging her over his shoulder in a fireman's hold, making her scream.

"Will, put me down!" she laughed. Will grinned, dropping her back into the water, 'accidentally' slapping her ass. JJ threw him a look, before bursting out laughing uncontrollably. Will laughed at JJ laughing, before pulling her in for a sweet kiss.

"You're adorable," he whispered. JJ giggled.

"Babies are adorable. Not me"

"You are," Will replied, pressing his forehead against hers and looking into her eyes. JJ smiled, tipping her head back slightly and kissing him briefly as the water lapped around their waists.

xxx

JJ panted heavily as they collapsed against the window of the hotel room, waves of pleasure still coursing through her. Will guided her down to sit on the floor, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her down to rest on his shoulder. Kissing her forehead, he brushed her hair away from her sweaty face as she managed to focus on one thing again.

"Welcome back," he drawled softly, smiling at his wife. JJ smiled, burying her face in the curve of his neck, completely drained of all of her energy.

"That was amazing," she finally said. "But don't let that fuel your male ego"

Will laughed. Tipping her chin up, he kissed her softly, just brushing the seam of her lips with his tongue. JJ suddenly felt more awake as she granted him entry. Will shifted so that she was pressed up against the window again. And again, they made love bathed in the moonlight.

xxx

"Paddle, paddle, paddle!" JJ yelled from where she was standing. Will paddled as hard as he could, instantly seeing why JJ complained about how hard paddling was with one arm. After JJ's first attempt to teach Will how to surf had ended with them having a water fight, and not a single wave caught properly, they were back at it.

Will felt the wave catch the board from behind, and felt an instant rush as he sped towards the beach. Pushing up like JJ had shown him, he got up on his knees, and this time, managed to stay on the board all the way in.

JJ laughed as she made her way over to him. "You did it!" she shrieked, throwing her arm around his neck and kissing him. Will grinned.

"Can I get a reward like that every time I catch a wave?" he asked. JJ couldn't but laugh at the seductive look he had in his eyes.

"It depends," she teased, pecking his lips once more before backing away.

"I'm exhausted, cher. I just wanna watch you surf for a while," Will groaned. JJ raised her eyebrows.

"Really?"

Will nodded, lifting the long board into his hands. "Go on. Hold nothin' back"

JJ grinned, watching as he walked out of the water. Lying down on her board, she paddled out past the rolling white water to where the blue unbroken waves were forming.

Will sat on his towel, the long board beside him, soaking up the Tahitian sun. He watched as JJ glided into a big, dark blue wave a way off shore. He'd never really noticed how much JJ's surfing had improved since the attack. She was fluid, and graceful, with every turn, cutback, snap, and carve.

JJ launched off the curve, flying off her board and diving into the water. Climbing back on, she paddled out to where other surfers were waiting for waves.

"You're good," one of the guys said to her as she came to a stop and sat on her board. JJ smiled.

"Thanks"

"I don't know many female surfers who could ride a wave like that. Aside from obviously, the famous ones"

JJ grinned, blushing a little.

"The name's Seth. Seth Daniels," the guy said, holding out his hand. Keeping her balance, JJ reached across and shook it.

"Jennifer Jareau. JJ," she said warmly.

"Nice...say, you wouldn't want to grab dinner or something, would you?" Seth asked. JJ laughed, reaching for her necklace.

"I'm married," she pointed out. Seth looked surprised, but then laughed as well.

"My bad. I didn't realise"

"No, it's ok. It's not obvious, because I don't wear the ring on my hand, because...well, I don't have a left hand, do I?" JJ laughed. Seth grinned. As he reached up to brush his hair back, JJ realised he was missing two fingers on his right hand. Seth noticed where she was looking, and grinned.

"Ah. When I was six, my older brother had a pet piranha, one of the really little ones. Me, being the genius wonder boy I was, went and stuck my hand in the tank," he explained. JJ looked at him in surprise.

"You're serious?"

Seth nodded. "Needless to say, the piranha was suffocated, and I lost my fingers. Not a big deal, I'm left handed anyway"

"I think I win," JJ challenged. Seth laughed.

"I know, you still win. I've heard about what happened to you. Definitely a win," he teased. JJ laughed as well.

"Does having you fingers bitten off by a piranha hurt?"

"Yes, it did, because the little bastard wouldn't let go," Seth explained. JJ burst out laughing, almost falling off her board, which only made Seth laugh as well. "Does being attacked by a shark hurt?"

JJ shook her head. "Surprisingly, no"

Seth raised his eyebrows. "Woah. You must be one tough cookie"

"Maybe. Actually, I beg to differ. When we got to the beach, I kept telling everyone that I wanted Will, my husband. We weren't married at the time, but I just kept saying 'I want Will', over and over again"

"You were scared, so that's acceptable. You survived though"

JJ suddenly saw a wave approaching. Turning her board, she began to paddle for it. "Outside!"

Seth grinned, turning and challenging her to a battle for the wave. He was good naturedly surprised when JJ sailed past him into the wave.

Will watched, a little freaked out, as JJ dropped in too late, and fell through the air to the bottom of the shoulder. But admiration returned when she regained her balance, and surfed the way she always did.

xxx

After two weeks in the warm sunshine of Tahiti, it was reluctantly time to head home. After a quick stop in Hawaii, they boarded the red eye back to DC. JJ was asleep about ten minutes after leaving the ground, and Will soon followed.

With about 2 hours left until they reached DC, Will woke up from his sleep, feeling a little less tired than he had been. JJ was still curled up in her seat, obviously having more luck with sleeping on planes than her husband. In the quiet moments he had available to him, Will sat back and thought about his life. He thought about how after his Daddy died, he'd lost all hope of being happy.

Then JJ walked into his life. He'd instantly been mesmerised by the stunning blonde, and had never even dreamed that one day he would be married to her with two kids. He'd also never thought she would go through what she did, but that was entirely unexpected.

Will had loved Henry since the day he was born. Henry was definitely the spitting image of his mother, and a gorgeous kid. He was also the cutest, and most hilarious little boy Will could ever ask for.

Then there was Meilani. She was adorable. Will couldn't help but give generous amounts of attention to his beautiful little girl. He was wrapped around her finger. JJ said everyday that she looked like her Daddy, which made Will a very proud father.

JJ shifted, leaning back against Will, her hand just lightly resting over her necklace. Will gently kissed her forehead, and lay back to see if he couldn't get just a little more sleep before they reached DC.

xxx

Will could barely find the energy to laugh when JJ flopped forward onto their bed, burying her face in her pillow and lying completely still.

"Jayje?" he asked, his voice weak and drained.

"Ngmf," was JJ's muffled grunt. Will chuckled as he changed out of his jeans into his pyjama pants. JJ rolled off the bed, shuffling over to the chest of drawers, and pulling out her pyjama pants and a T-shirt. Too tired to go and change in the bathroom, she stripped her clothes off and pulled the more comfortable sleep clothes on.

"Now really, JJ, I'm never gonna sleep now," Will groaned. JJ flopped back on to the bed, her eyes closed.

"I've had enough sex to last me a year in the past two weeks. Hands off tonight buddy," she shot back, rolling over and drifting off to sleep. Will had to laugh as he burrowed under the covers and quickly joined his wife in dreamland.

xxx

_**Hawaii**_

_When Chief Strauss told my team (SSA Aaron Hotchner, SSA Derek Morgan, SSA Emily Prentiss, SSA Dr Spencer Reid, SSA David Rossi, and Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia) and myself that we were being given a hard earned all expenses paid vacation in Hawaii, I honestly thought she was joking. No offence intended, but a lot of the time it was hard to get along with Erin Strauss, and I'm probably going to get fired if she reads this, but I didn't think she had it in her to be that nice (Chief Strauss, I apologise, please don't fire me)._

_I immediately went home and told Will, and explained it to Henry. Both of them were extremely excited, and we began to sort out things we would have to take with us. _

_Two weeks later, we touched down in Honolulu, and made our way to our hotel. As soon as we saw the beautiful beaches, the blue sky, the amazing waves...we forgot all about unpacking, changed into our bathers, and raced down to the beach in front of the hotel._

_Derek, Emily, and I hired out surfboards, and made our way out into the waves. It had been a long time since I got on a surfboard, but I made do, and found that it was like riding a bike. Obviously, though, my surfing has improved over the last 18 months or so._

_I caught a bunch of waves on that particular afternoon, and with each one, it got easier and easier. By the time we were done, I was exhausted._

_The next two days, the 24th and the 25th, were spent surfing, relaxing on the beach, and drinking (in moderation for Will and myself, as we did have to keep an eye on Henry, and be sober enough to act quickly). I was thoroughly enjoying myself, and by the night of the 25th, I didn't want to leave. We went out to a really fun restaurant that night, where there was all this 'funky' music (wow, I feel old) was playing, and Will made me get up and dance with him. While I'm sure I was as red as a tomato, I had a really good time._

_By 11pm, we were out of it, and we left the others to take Henry back to the hotel. Once we had Henry in bed, Will and I fell into bed, and practically fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows._

_I had absolutely no idea that in 12 hours time, my life would've been completely turned around._

**A/N: I know that was a short chapter of her book, but what the hey.**

**Sorry this took so long. I'm having serious issues with my jackass neighbour, and I'm so focused on that that I can't think straight.**

**Please leave a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	30. Shark Bait

**A/N: Watching Soul Surfer :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM or Soul Surfer (except for on DVD)**

JJ took a sip of her drink, setting it down on the table and stirring it lazily with the straw.

"So...how was Tahiti?" Emily asked with a suggestive grin. JJ smiled dreamily as she remembered every moment from Tahiti...90 percent of which had been intimate. _Very_ intimate.

"From the look on your face my friend, you and Will got it on big time," Penelope laughed. JJ blushed, taking a long sip of her drink to avoid answering the question, which only made her two friends laugh even harder.

"Did you teach him how to surf, like you said you would?" Emily asked, deciding to rescue JJ from her predicament.

"Sort of. He got up on his knees, and then decided he was too tired," JJ giggled. Emily laughed as Penelope decided to get another round of drinks.

xxx

After numerous drinks and hilarious conversation, Emily and JJ decided it was time to dance. The only problem was that they were both stone drunk, and Penelope was certain that neither of them would remember much come morning. She watched, helpless to stop them, as they had a ball of a time, dancing around wildly, stumbling more than once, and laughing hysterically. Groaning, Penelope dropped her head to her arms.

"Oh my god, I've created a monster"

xxx

Penelope kept a tight grip on JJ's arm to prevent the blonde from falling as she steered her through the front door. JJ was giggling uncontrollably about nothing of particular importance as Penelope closed the door, and turned back to see Will approaching them.

"Oh dear," he said softly, seeing just how drunk JJ was. Penelope threw him an apologetic look.

"I tried to stop them...but they wouldn't have a word of it," she explained. Will grinned.

"They'll be sorry in the mornin'," he said, grabbing his wife's shoulders to stop her from falling over. JJ suddenly threw her arm around Will's neck, pulling him in for a heated kiss. Penelope giggled as Will became flustered, finally managing to break away.

"Cher! What are you doin'?" he exclaimed, making Penelope laugh harder. JJ giggled.

"I looove you," she slurred. Will raised his eyebrows.

"I love you too, but I'm pretty sure you're not gonna remember a word of this in the mornin'," he replied. JJ scoffed, waving it off.

"Course I will. Don't be...stupid," she said defiantly, hiccupping mid sentence.

"I'll see you around," Penelope said quickly to Will. Will smiled, waving to her as she retreated out the front door to leave the Southerner with his dishevelled wife.

"Will...I'd like you to meet...Shark Bait," JJ said quickly, hissing the last two words, gesturing to her stump. Will had to laugh.

"Ok, now I know you've had a _lot_. You're probably lucky you don't need a liver transplant right now," he teased. JJ frowned.

"Why on earth...would I need one of _those_?" she protested. Will shook his head, leading her down the hallway to the lounge room.

They had barely reached the hallway arch that divided the front part of the house from the main part when JJ's stomach decided to rid itself of its contents. Will leapt back as she was violently sick. Dragging his hand down his face, he scrunched up his eyes and sighed.

"Good Lord almighty, help me," he groaned. Careful to side step the mess, he steered JJ into the bathroom, and instructed her to take a shower. Knowing her tendency to completely ignore simple instructions when drunk, he made sure she was _in _the shower before he left.

By the time he'd cleaned up the lounge room floor, he was exhausted. Flopping into bed, he found JJ fast asleep on the other side. Rolling over and settling in, Will was asleep in no time.

xxx

Sunlight streamed through the window, waking Will up as it hit his eyes. With a tired sigh, he pulled himself up into a sitting position and looked to his left...only to find that JJ wasn't there.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Will stood up, and dragged himself out of the room in search of his wife. He didn't have to go far.

Entering the lounge room, he found her curled up on the couch, fast asleep. Leaning down, he kissed her pale forehead, before going into Meilani's room. Meilani was lying wide awake in her crib, happily chewing on the ear of one of her plush toys.

"Hey bebe` girl, whatcha doin'?" Will cooed, smiling widely at his daughter. Meilani laughed in her cute little way, reaching up for Daddy. Will reached in, lifting her out and settling her on his hip.

"Whadya say we go get Henry?" he asked. Meilani clung to his shirt as they walked out of the room towards Henry's bedroom. Pushing open the door, Will set Meilani down on Henry's bed, smiling as she crawled over her big brother and poked his face. Henry twitched, trying to get away from whoever was poking him, and eventually opened his eyes, giggling when he found his sister looking at him.

"'Lani!" he laughed, tickling his little sister's belly. Meilani gurgled happily, tipping backwards, making Will laugh. Scooping up the wriggly baby girl, he held her in one hand, while holding his other out to Henry. Returning to the lounge room, he discovered JJ now almost awake. Setting Meilani down in her beloved playpen, Will went over to his wife, kneeling down beside the couch.

"Hey. How you feelin'?"

"Like I'll barf if I move," JJ groaned, covering her eyes from the light. "What even happened last night?"

Will laughed. "A lot, I presume. Your stump now has a name, you stuck your tongue down my throat in front of Penelope, and threw up all over the lounge room floor"

JJ looked at him in shock. "I _what_!"

"You heard me"

"I named my stump?"

"Shark Bait"

"Oh my god," JJ moaned, burying her face in the nearest cushion. "And I did what in front of Penelope?"

"Stuck your tongue down my throat. You decided it was time to play kissy face"

JJ moaned in humiliation again, muffled by the cushion. Will bent down, kissing her temple, before moving off to the kitchen.

"Mommy? You sick?" Henry asked sweetly. JJ looked up, nodding.

"Why?" Henry continued.

"I ate something bad," JJ lied. Will perked up, seeing a chance to have a little fun.

"Henry, your Mommy had a lot to drink last night. Lots of alcohol. Don't ever drink as much as your Mommy did," he said seriously. Henry giggled, before sliding off the couch to turn the TV on. JJ threw Will a glare, making him laugh.

xxx

_**July 26**_

_That morning was a beautiful morning in Hawaii. Derek wanted to go out to Ku'aihelani Beach, which was just over an hour from the hotel. So, I got up at 6:30, pulled on my bathers, grabbed my board, and kissed Will goodbye. After promising Henry, who had woken up just before I left, that I would be back before lunch and we could go looking for shells, I met Derek and Emily in the hall, and we went down to the parking lot, where David and Aaron were waiting. We had all skipped breakfast, as none of us were big eaters anyway, and we would be back in time for lunch. Derek did joke that if we got hungry, we could go hermit style and catch a fish. I simply told him if he was that desperate, he could go for it._

_We were all in a good mood as we drove along the beautiful coastline to our intended destination. Emily and I found the urge to sing, so renditions of various songs by Adele, Katy Perry, and Art vs Science were sung in the back of the truck. I think it annoyed Derek (he was hitting his head against the window), but he got over it. Luckily, I'm pretty sure we amused Aaron and Dave, and Emily and I both agree that we were much better than the songs on the radio._

_When we reached the beach, we clambered to get out of the truck. Grabbing boards, towels, and the beach bag, we headed through the trail to Ku'aihelani. The trail took almost ten minutes to walk, but we didn't mind; the scenery was amazing. Emily and I got a good chance to catch up on our gossip, or gush over how beautiful Hawaii was. We also talked about how Emily was loving surfing; she'd only started the day we got to Hawaii, and she was a natural._

_By the time we reached the beach, we were itching to get in the water. After waxing the surfboards so we would actually stay on them, we waded out up to our waists. David and Aaron sat back on the beach in the shade, just relaxing, happy to avoid the water. I'm pretty sure they just came along for some much deserved peace and quiet while we went surfing._

_As we paddled out, I had no worries, no fear. All that crossed my mind was how cool the water was, how warm the sun was on my back. When we reached the waves breaking over the reef, I duck dived under the first one, catching a glimpse of a small but quietly amazing reef beneath the deep blue water. While it was beautiful, I made a mental note to stay on my board; if I fell on that reef, I would look absolutely stunning with all those cuts and slices._

_I dropped into the next wave, managing a few small snaps before the wave broke out behind me._

_We had fun in that time we were out there. Derek and I tried tandem on his surfboard, which resulted in both of us going down while Emily laughed. Then Emily and I tried it. It was easier than with Derek, but we still wiped out big time._

_After a little while, Emily and I paddled away from the waves, to where the water was flat and calm. Derek kept surfing, while we just relaxed on our boards. I remember looking down at my watch before Emily spoke to me._

_It was 9:18 on a beautiful Hawaiian morning._

**A/N: Still watching Soul Surfer, because both ANs were typed at the same time.**

**Please please leave a review and then vote in the poll on my profile!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	31. Opening Up

**A/N: The interview is a bit short, yes, but it started to get a bit random, so I cut it off. Please enjoy this chapter, and the chapter of JJ's book brought me to tears in some places. Hopefully you guys won't cry, because I think I'm just emotional.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

"Welcome back to Live Tonight! Now, our next guest, you may have heard of. Her story is similar in many ways to Bethany Hamilton's incredible story, but has its own unique flair. She is known all over the world for surviving a shark attack that took her left arm, and almost her life, but didn't take her determination to lead a normal, family oriented life. Please give a warm welcome to our special guest, Jennifer Jareau!" Kerry Winters announced to the crowd. The crowd clapped wildly as JJ walked out to where Kerry was sitting, smiling and giving a small wave to the audience. Amidst the applause, she shook Kerry's hand and took a seat on the couch across from the friendly host. The applause died down, allowing Kerry to speak.

"JJ, welcome to the show. How are you?" Kerry asked warmly.

"Thank you. I'm great," JJ replied.

So, you've just released your book, detailing your attack, and the events surrounding it"

"It was released about a month ago, and it's called '_Heart of A Soul Surfer'_. A lot of time went into writing it. I talked about a lot of things in there that I probably wouldn't bring up in everyday conversation, but they were definitely important in telling what I needed to say"

"JJ, how did you cope with the aftermath of the attack?"

"Well, the first few days were a bit like, 'please let this be a nightmare, let me wake up soon'. I eventually accepted that this was my new reality, and I moved on. Now, I focus all my energy on my family and my work"

"Do you have any opinions on _how_ you survived to tell the tale?"

"Well...I was told that the fact I didn't completely freak out and lose my head when I was attacked saved my life...but I partly believe it was because I prayed. I hadn't prayed since I was about 17, but when we were paddling into the beach, I pleaded with God to let me live, to keep me alive"

"So, what's it like for you to be known all over the world for something like this?"

"It's, to put it simply, absolutely bizarre. I went from having a normal life with my friends and family to being known worldwide for nothing particularly...extravagant," JJ laughed.

"Well, obviously, at first you were known for obviously, surviving a shark attack, and for your story being eerily similar to Bethany's, not that we're saying it was set up-"

"I paid that shark," JJ joked, making the audience and Kerry laugh.

"After a while, it became apparent that you were developing your own name, and that your determination had a different mindset to Bethany"

"I was just determined to get back to some sort of normality, and to keep doing my job and caring for my family as I always had before the attack"

"I hear now, you're competing, in lieu of what happened?"

"I am. I just completed my third amateur competition, placed second, and I've entered into a Regional selection in Hawaii"

"We heard a little rumour that someone signed on to sponsor you?"

JJ smiled, blushing ever so slightly. "It's not a rumour. There's a surf shop not far from where I live. They're really popular, quite a big name. Not as big as RipCurl, obviously, but still big, especially for someone like me. The store's called _Tubed_"

"That's great, especially after just three competitions! You must be a natural competitor"

"Well, I was the captain of the varsity soccer team in high school"

"There you have it folks," Kerry laughed. JJ grinned, chuckling as well.

"You and your husband have two kids, correct?"

"Yes. Henry's almost four, and Meilani's almost one"

"They must be a handful"

"With one arm, yes. I am envious of my husband, Will, sometimes, because he can manage things easier than I can. But I don't want help unless I really can't do it on my own, so I just battle through it"

"I hear you requalified for firearms specialty, and passed?"

"I did, I was so happy the day my qualification went through," JJ said, bouncing a little excitedly, making Kerry and the audience laugh.

"Your job means a lot to you?"

"More than you know"

"Hopefully, we find out about your job in '_Heart of A Soul Surfer'_"

"You will"

"Well, JJ, it looks like we're out of time, so thank you so much for coming in"

"My pleasure"

"We will hopefully get you back in here soon to learn a little bit more about you"

"I look forward to it," JJ said, smiling.

"There you have it, our special guest, Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau, please give her a round of applause!"

JJ smiled, waving again to the audience as they clapped, laughing when Kerry cracked a joke hidden under the din. Once it was signalled to an ad break, Kerry gave JJ a warm hug before she walked backstage to where Will was waiting.

"You did great, cher," he said fondly, putting his arm around her shoulders. JJ smiled, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"Let's go home. I'm beat," she mumbled. Will grinned, kissing her forehead as they exited the studio and headed for the car.

xxx

"Today, everyone is going to tell the rest of the class about their parents, ok?" Mrs Ramsey told the pre-school class. Every child nodded their heads ecstatically. "So who wants to go first?"

Every hand shot up into the air. Mrs Ramsey laughed, looking around and finally choosing the cute little blonde, Henry.

"Henry, why don't we hear about your Mommy and Daddy?"

Henry stood up, moving to stand beside Mrs Ramsey. Looking around at his friends, he started. "My Daddy's f'om New Or'eans. He used to be a polices man, but now he stay at home with me and my si'ter. He makes yummy saniches," Henry giggled, making the rest of the class giggle too. Mrs Ramsey smiled; they were adorable.

"My Mommy is a agent. For the F...F-"

"FBI," Mrs Ramsey finished. Henry nodded. "She lock up the bad guys. Mommy on'y has one arm, 'cause a shark did bited her arm, but she 'till surf. And sometimes, she com...comp-"

"Competes"

"In surfing. She has t'ophies. They're shiny," Henry giggled. Mrs Ramsey had to laugh.

"Thank you, Henry. Your parents sound very interesting, and I'm sure everyone here has seen Henry's mommy?"

The kids all nodded ecstatically, smiling.

"And what don't we do if somebody looks different?"

"'TARE!" the kids shouted, making her laugh again. "Now, Sophie, let's hear about your parents..."

xxx

_**Attack**_

_It came out of nowhere._

_We hadn't been out there very long, just over half an hour. Emily and I paddled away from where Derek was, about 50-60 yards away. I was facing the horizon when we came to a stop, but eventually swung around a little way to face Emily. Looking to my left, I could see the beach out of the corner of my eye. It looked like it was miles away. With my left arm dangling in the water, I lay my head on my board, looking to my left, in the general direction of the beach. Emily and I chatted vaguely, before she teasingly told me not to go to sleep in my current position. I laughed, and promised her I'd try not to. A comfortable silence fell, the only sound being the gentle sound of the water as Emily paddled to keep herself steady, and as little rollers slipped underneath my board._

_Then all of a sudden, all I could see was grey. I saw everything; the razor sharp teeth, the sandpaper skin, and the beady little eyes. I yelled out in shock, instantly pulling my head up off my board, and turning away at the same time. As soon as I saw the shark, I had known it wasn't going to end well, and didn't want to watch whatever it was going to do to me. It happened in a split second. The shark clamped down below my shoulder and tugged hard on my arm. My board tipped to the left, and I scrabbled for something to grab onto. Then when it let go, Emily screamed. She screamed for Derek to get to us, and told him in one word what had happened; shark. I was still in shock, stunned from what had just happened to me. I watched, dazed, as the water around me went from deep blue to bright red. That was when I knew it was bad._

_That was the first time the thought 'I could die' crossed my mind._

_Derek got to us really fast. He yelled at us to get to the reef, that we had to get out of the water. I remember feeling him pushing on the end of my board. Emily was paddling alongside me, and she was hysterical. I caught her eye once, and the fear that I saw in her eyes...I've never seen her look like that before._

_I didn't blame her. I wanted to freak out, I wanted to panic, scream, cry, whatever. But there was a part of me that knew that it wouldn't get me anywhere, so I might as well just stay calm._

_As we got closer to the reef, a wave came up underneath the three of us. I remember feeling relieved that I wasn't going to have to pull myself out of the water; I was already tired from blood loss. The initial shock of what had happened had got my heart racing, and had drained out a fair amount of my blood into the water, which was just fantastic for the shark, but not so great for us until we got to the beach._

_Derek yelled for Emily to go back to the beach and get Aaron to call 911. Emily was completely losing it, but somehow managed to pull it together, slide back into the water, despite her fear, and make her way back to the beach. I'm glad she did, because I don't think I would have survived if the ambulance hadn't been dispatched when it was. Meanwhile, Derek had pulled off his rash guard and tied it tightly around the stub of my arm. It hurt when he pulled it tight, but I didn't care. At that point in time, all I could think was 'I need to get out of the water'._

_As Derek pulled me back to the beach, he kept calling out to me, getting me to talk to him, trying to keep me from passing out in the middle of the ocean. I was raised somewhat religious, but I hadn't prayed or gone to church since I was 17. But in that stretch of water, when the shore didn't seem to be getting any closer, I put my faith in the one person who could help me at that time; God. I prayed in my head, and I prayed out loud. I begged him to keep me alive, to get me to the beach. By the time we were almost at the beach, I was barely conscious and muttering absolute jargon under my breath._

_But it worked._

_Shore At Last:_

_I passed out right as Derek got me out of the water. When I came to, I was still lying on my surfboard, and I was freezing. I remember that significant detail, because it had been so hot when we left for the beach, and as far as I could tell, it had actually gotten warmer. But I was so cold, and I know it was from blood loss. I didn't have the energy to tell anyone that I was cold, and therefore, I had to stick with it._

_Derek and David rolled me over onto Derek's surfboard. Derek tied another surf leash (the first one had been tied while I was unconscious) around my arm, while David kissed my forehead and told me that everything would be ok, that no matter what happened, none of them were about to let me go. I managed to muster up the energy to say I wanted Will a few times. I also managed to say I was really thirsty as well. But no-one listened. I think they were more concerned with getting me to the hospital, and frankly, so was I._

_David and Derek lifted me off the ground, and began to carry me back down the trail. Emily and Aaron were following us, their footsteps quick and clumsy. Derek kept calling out to me to talk to him, to stay with him, but his words echoed in my head, and made my head spin._

_I remember that by then, I was shivering because I was so cold. They lifted me into the back of the truck, and suddenly I could see Emily and Aaron's faces swimming in and out of focus above me. As we headed down the quiet road back towards the main part of the town, I began to worry that my time was running out. I felt Aaron press his fingers to my wrist, and acting on instinct, I slipped my hand into his. I managed to focus on his eyes long enough to convey one message; 'I'm scared'._

_I soon heard the sirens of the ambulance approaching. I don't really remember much after being lifted from the surfboard onto the gurney. In fact, the whole ambulance journey until we reached the edge of town is a bit of a blur. The paramedic was very kind, reassuring me, getting me to look into his eyes. I can only vaguely remember that Aaron was in the back of the ambulance as well, holding onto my hand to keep me calm, and that I asked the paramedic where Will was. My voice had been so weak and thin from my perspective; it scared me, because I sounded nothing like myself. Things slowly started to fade away after that, and everything came in flashes of consciousness._

_Will racing across the carpark to be by my side as I was pulled out of the ambulance, and telling me that I was going to be fine, despite the fact that he was white as a sheet and almost in tears._

_The doctors calling out to me, telling me I was going to be ok._

_The fact that everything was blurring in front of my eyes, because I couldn't focus on one thing._

_The last thing I remember is Will telling me he loved me before a nurse stopped him from following me into the trauma room, where I was lifted off of the ambulance gurney and onto a hospital one. Everything literally went black, and I don't recall what happened after that._

**A/N: The attack chapter ended up being longer than I thought. Oh well. You can never write too much in my opinion.**

**Please leave a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	32. Shattered

**By the way, have I ever mentioned that I know how to ride a Ripstik? So much fun, and very much like surfing when it comes to turns and things like that.**

**Now, I tried to come up with nasty snide remark, but I didn't get very far with it. So, just go with it.**

A lazy Sunday afternoon had led to an exuberant game of Snap between JJ and Will. At first, JJ had been confronted with the difficulty of holding the cards, putting them down, and snapping all at the same time. But she found a solution; Henry.

After explaining to Henry that he would hold the cards, and put them down for her, JJ had been fiercely competitive. The game had had every rule bent or broken, and got to the point where JJ was slamming her hand down on every pair, whether they matched or not, which had Will laughing so hard he was almost crying.

"Snap!" Henry chipped in towards the end, hitting the edge of the table, making both of his parents laugh.

After somewhat finishing, Henry ran outside to play in the weak sunshine, while JJ and Will set about getting an afternoon snack ready for both of their children, who would no doubt be hungry within the hour.

"You know, I was thinkin' about my favourite advantage of you surfin' all the time," Will said as he pulled a tin of pureed apple raspberry down from the cupboard.

"Oh yeah?" JJ replied, reaching past him and grabbing the peanut butter. Setting it on the bench, she reached into the fridge and grabbed Henry's favourite grape jelly.

"Well, I get to see you in a bikini all the time," Will teased. JJ blushed, hitting Will's shoulder with the jelly jar as she walked past him. At that point, Henry came sprinting back into the house.

"Mommy, Daddy, look what I catched!" he shrieked excitedly. JJ turned around to find Henry standing behind her with a huge flying cockroach sitting on his outstretched palm.

"Henry! That's disgusting!" she exclaimed, recoiling towards the sink.

"His name is Buster," Henry continued. 'Buster' chose that moment to fly out of Henry's hand, straight for JJ. JJ shrieked, leaping out of the way, much to Will's amusement.

"Cher, it's just a cockroach," he said simply, catching it deftly in his hands. JJ pulled a face, making a beeline for Meilani, who was sitting in her playpen, happily banging the living daylights out a piano.

"Cockroaches are revolting little creatures," she reasoned, reaching in and hooking her arm around Meilani, lifting the little girl up to her hip.

"Mommy, I keep Buster in my hab'tat?" Henry asked, referring the bug habitat Uncle Spencer had given him for Christmas.

"Go ahead," Will cut in. JJ shot him a look as Henry ran off, Buster in his hands, to put his new 'pet' in the bug habitat.

xxx

"Hey Morgan," JJ said warmly, sitting down at her desk.

"Hey blondie. How's life treating you?" Morgan replied, flashing his brilliant smile. JJ laughed. "Life's great. I actually wanted to ask you a huge favour," she said softly.

"Go ahead"

"Well, competitions are getting to a more aggressive stage...and I was wondering if you could help me with my training?"

Morgan smiled; JJ was like his little sister. He'd do anything for her. "I'd love to, JJ. When do we start?"

This time, JJ smiled. "Saturday afternoon?"

"It's a date"

xxx

Will watched on from the deck as Morgan took JJ through a bunch of basic surfing related training exercises, with a few arm and leg strength ones thrown in as well. So far, JJ had worked on keeping herself balanced; because she only had one arm, she was more inclined to lean to the left slightly, to counteract the off balance feeling she felt if she stood up straight. She had also ridden an Indo Balance Board, which looked hard to Will; he was definitely not riding one of those. He'd kill himself.

Now, they were doing push ups. Morgan had put a towel underneath JJ, around her stomach, to act as a harness that would make up for her other arm until her right arm was strong enough to take her weight. He stood over her, letting her work on the drops, keeping her from collapsing with a bit of a pull, and initiating the rise by gently lifting the towel.

Flopping down beside Will after completing the push ups, JJ gratefully accepted the can of lemonade he offered her. Morgan walked up, standing in front of them.

"So, you guys want to come to the house party Emily and I are having next weekend?"

"Party?" JJ repeated, perking up. Will and Morgan laughed.

"Yes, Pennsylvania, a party," Morgan teased. JJ blushed, taking a mouthful of lemonade to avoid saying anything.

"We'd love to," Will replied. Morgan nodded, grabbing his bag.

"Great. See you on Saturday afternoon, at 2"

"We'll be there"

xxx

JJ leaned into Will's side as they chatted casually with two of Morgan's friends. His arm was around her, making her feel more comfortable in an environment where she didn't know too many people.

They were talking to Morgan's old school friend Daniel, and his wife, Lisa. Both were extremely friendly, and within about half an hour, the group of four had covered about twenty different topics of conversation. Morgan had disappeared inside about five minutes before, claiming he needed a bathroom break, and to check on some food.

JJ moved over to the table to grab another drink, and as she was turning around to go back over to Will, knocked straight into Hotch, spilling the drink down his shirt.

"Ah! JJ!" Hotch laughed. JJ couldn't help but laugh as she turned around to grab some napkins, stuffing them into Hotch's hand.

"It was bound to happen at some point," she reasoned. Hotch grinned, scrubbing at his shirt.

"You really are as useless as you look. Do you need someone to feed you as well?" one of Morgan's friends, who was standing at the end of the table, said cruelly. Everyone within earshot turned in shock at what they had just overheard. JJ stood slightly in front of Hotch, completely stunned. Will charged forward, fury in his eyes.

"How dare you speak to her like that!" he said angrily. Hotch grabbed him, trying to restrain him from punching the guy square in the face. One of Morgan's cousins grabbed the offender, trying to stop him from lashing out. Rossi ran forward to step between them, trying to make himself heard over their yelling and fighting. In all the commotion, no-one noticed that JJ had slipped away from the group, tears streaming down her face.

* * *

><p>JJ pushed the door closed behind her, taking deep breaths and wiping her eyes to try and control the tears that were threatening to break through. Leaning back against the kitchen counter, she grabbed some tissues and wiped away the tears leaving tracks down her cheeks.<p>

"JJ?" Morgan's voice asked softly. JJ turned around, revealing to him her red eyes and tear stained cheeks. Morgan instantly became worried. Sure, JJ could have bouts of self consciousness, but he'd rarely seen that at all in the past eight months or so.

"What happened?" he asked gently, stepping forward. JJ nodded in the direction of the back door. Morgan slowly became aware of the fact that people were yelling at each other, and upon looking out the window, he could see that Will was on the verge of tearing his friend Andrew's head off, if it wasn't for Rossi in between them and Hotch holding him back. Many of the other guests were hurling abuse at Morgan's friend, sticking up for someone they barely knew on a personal level. Emily had joined the group, and was absolutely furious at the guy.

"What did he say?" he asked JJ. JJ shook her head, tears pouring from her eyes. Sure, some people would have come up with a witty comeback. All JJ knew was that she had fought hard for her independence, and what the guy had said to her, and the way he had said it, had ripped through her like a knife.

Morgan felt anger bubbling inside him as he wrapped his arms around his good friend and colleague, comforting her. He could tell JJ was trying to not completely break down, but it wasn't very successful; she had her face buried in his shoulder, tears soaking his shirt. Morgan was going to kill Andrew when he got the chance. Literally kill him.

* * *

><p>Emily closed the door behind her as she stepped inside, walking over to where Morgan and JJ were now sitting on the couch.<p>

"Jayje, are you ok?"

"I'll be fine," JJ said softly, embarrassed at how overcome she'd been with tears.

"JJ...be honest with me," Emily said softly, squeezing JJ's hand.

"It hurt...I was pretty shocked at first...but then my emotions got the better of me...I feel like such an idiot," JJ admitted.

"You're not an idiot, JJ, Andrew's the idiot here," Derek said softly.

"Well, Will's about to tear Andrew limb from limb, so Derek, you might want to go and pull Andrew out," Emily suggested. Morgan nodded, squeezing JJ's shoulder gently as he stood up and headed out the back door.

"I'll be ok. I think I was just more shocked than anything else. No-one's really said anything like that to me before," JJ said, her voice stronger and more assured than before. Emily smiled.

"None of us think any less of you. If I had been in that position, I think I'd be an emotional wreck by now. You're pretty good at holding yourself together," she replied. JJ grinned.

"You kind of have to be in my position"

"You sure do...would you mind helping me out with the snacks? I'm a little buried," Emily asked.

"Sure"

JJ followed Emily into the kitchen, where Emily got her to slice a block of cheese for the cheese platter. As they were getting started, Morgan came back, dragging Andrew through the door. JJ glared at Andrew as they passed.

"Derek, man, I'm sorry-"

"You and I are having words," Morgan said coolly, pushing him into the study and closing the door. Making Andrew sit on the sofa, Morgan pulled the computer chair over, and sat across from his friend.

"Derek, I'm sorry-"

"It's not me you need to apologise to"

"It was only a joke-"

"A joke? A joke, Andrew, are you kidding me?"

"Some people have no sense of humour-"

"Andrew, do you even know what JJ's been through?"

"Why would I?"

"Let me fill you in. Almost two years ago, we were given a work vacation to Hawaii. Our third day there, I was out surfing with JJ and Emily, and JJ was attacked by a 16 foot tiger shark. She almost died, Andrew! For a long time, she wasn't the same JJ we remembered, but she proved us she was still there by fighting long and hard to get back her independence. She's very determined, and has been thoroughly independent for a long time now. JJ's self conscious enough without you opening your big mouth and implying she can't do anything for herself," Morgan explained. Andrew's expression fell.

"I knew about the attack...but none of that," he said softly.

"Andrew, JJ's like a little sister to me. I hate seeing her hurt. I think you need to go out there and apologise to her," Morgan suggested softly. Andrew nodded, pulling himself up off the couch. Exiting the study, he walked up to where Emily and JJ were working in the kitchen.

"Hey, uh, JJ...I'm really sorry about what I said. It was completely uncalled for," he said softly.

"You're forgiven," JJ said coolly, pushing past him with a bottle of soft drink in her hand, and heading out the back. Andrew stared after her incredulously, while Emily had to face the sink to hide the fact that she was fighting back laughter. Andrew turned to Morgan, who shrugged.

"You're not forgiven," he explained simply. Andrew sighed, scrubbing his face as he headed for the back door.

JJ put the bottle of soda on the table as Will came up behind her.

"Hey, cher. Are you alright? I would've come to find ya, but Hotch and Rossi were too busy tryin' to calm me down," he said gently. JJ smiled, slipping her hand into his.

"I'm fine. I was just a little shocked"

"Just a little? I was about ready to tear him apart"

"I know," JJ laughed, pulling him over to where Lisa and Daniel were standing, watching them expectantly.

"Well, that was eventful," Lisa laughed. JJ grinned. The conversation started up again, as though nothing had happened. While the other three were talking, JJ glanced over to where Andrew was sitting on the porch step with his head in his hands. At that point, he glanced up, catching her eye. After a short moment passed, he gave her a small smile, one that said a lot; _'I'm really sorry'_. JJ looked away, not really sure what to do or say. Her confidence had been shattered one too many times. She wasn't ready to forgive him at all.

xxx

_**Hospital**_

_I have some very vivid memories of when I first arrived at the hospital, and the two weeks I spent there recovering. I have absolutely no memory of being in the trauma room in the emergency department, but some memories from a little while later._

_After passing out as they took me into trauma, I woke up again in the operating room. I was extremely tired, incredibly hungry, and dying of thirst. My throat felt like sandpaper. I remember that at that point, my arm was hurting quite badly. I tried to ignore it, but I couldn't hold back the tears of pain that sprung to my eyes._

_Dr Jackson came over to where I was lying, smiled at me, and reassured me that I was going to be fine. I managed to choke out to him that I was really hungry, and really thirsty. He allowed the nurse to give me enough water to moisten my mouth and throat, and then pointed out that while I had been unconscious, they had put a tube in my nose that ran down my throat to my stomach, and was providing extra nourishment. He explained to me why they had done that (it wasn't because I was hungry), but I don't remember what that reason was._

_I came out from under the anaesthesia sometime late in the afternoon. That was when it sunk in that I wasn't going to die, that I was going to be ok. All the tubes I remembered from surgery were gone, with one remaining IV in my hand. For the first twenty minutes or so, I chatted weakly with my teammates, who slowly filtered out until it was just Will and myself in the room. I think I spoke about three sentences to him before I threw up; a side effect of the combination of anaesthesia and a stomach that wasn't empty. Subsequently, that drained the ounce of energy I had, and I fell asleep about five minutes later._

_I slept for a record time the following day; 17 hours. I fell asleep early in the morning, around 6, and woke up near midnight. Despite that, I was absolutely exhausted. My blood volume was low, around 40 percent, which made me feel tired and weak all the time. I could barely lift the one arm I had left. Will stayed by my side the entire time. I could tell he was worried; I could see it in his eyes. I assured him I was going to be ok. I was determined to be ok._

_The following nights were filled with nightmares. I kept dreaming that I was being attacked again, and I would wake up screaming. Will was always right there to bring me back to reality, holding my hand, and on one particularly bad night, he laid down next to me and held me while I slept. That's the reason I love him. He's so caring._

_One night I was half asleep, and Will came to my room, whispered that he was going back to the hotel for the night to repack his bag, have a proper shower, and to try to explain to my poor confused Henry what was going on. I couldn't get back to sleep after he left. I was terrified of what I was going to see when I closed my eyes. I lay there in the darkness, and tried to hold up that wall in my mind, the one that prevented all those negative thoughts from flowing through. But without Will there beside me, it came crashing down. And the very first thing that crossed my mind?_

_Why did this happen to me?_

_I couldn't even begin to fathom why God would let this terrible thing happen to me. I wanted out. I didn't want the challenge of living with one arm. _

_So that night I cried myself to sleep. Only to wake up hours later after another nightmare, just as Will returned from the hotel._

_The next few days got increasingly better. As my blood volume increased, so did my mood. I felt happier, and started to feel much better about my situation, especially when my team spent the days with me in the hospital, joking and laughing. I think my favourite memory was watching Henry beat Hotch at snap._

_I had a visit from an occupational therapist, and a counsellor. The therapist showed me how to tie shoelaces, button shirts, tie up my hair, basic things I would need to know as soon as I left the hospital. It was then that I realised the first few months were going to be an adjustment period, time when I would have to learn how to do things again._

_The counsellor ran through the events of that day with me, pinpointing the scariest parts of the attack and the aftermath, and helping me run through my emotions; mainly confusion, anger, and frustration._

_That afternoon, I finally got to get out of bed. I hadn't been out of bed for a few days, so it felt funny to be standing upright again. Dr Jackson and Will accompanied me. It was actually fun, even though I was dragging around my IV stand, because I knew it meant I was getting better._

_About seven days after the attack, I was taken back into surgery to close my arm. I woke up the morning after with Henry cuddled into my side. That was the day that I found out I only had another week in the hospital. Needless to say, I was thrilled. I couldn't wait to get out of a hospital gown, and go back to the hotel, because going back meant I could start to pull the pieces back together into some sort of normality._

_I remember getting bored one afternoon while Emily, Hotch, and Morgan were visiting. So, being the total child that I am, I grabbed some balloons, and took them into the hallway. The others followed, watching and laughing as I bounced around in the corridor with the balloons bouncing off my head. Eventually, Emily and Morgan joined in, while Hotch just stood there and laughed at us._

_That wore me out and I slept through the night._

_The morning I went home, Will came into the room to find me already dressed and waiting; I was desperate to leave. Dr Jackson changed the dressing on my stump, a process through which I looked away; I wasn't quite ready to see just how much was left, and what it looked like. That could wait until I'd fully accepted the fact of having one arm. Will grabbed my bag, we signed the discharge papers, and I finally left the hospital._

**A/N: So, how was that?**

**Please leave a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	33. Accidental Bravery

**A/N: Who follows AJ and Nate on Twitter?**

**If yes, who thought she was pregnant when Nathan posted those tweets? I did.**

**Bloody Solitaire. Really?**

**XXX – so sorry! I forgot the chapter of her book, I was so focused on getting it uploaded! Here is the revised edition!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Will sat at the kitchen table, Meilani on the table in front of him, laughing as JJ and Henry battled each other in Wii Sports boxing. At first, JJ had been presented with the challenge of holding the Nunchuk. Will had jokingly tied it down to the end of her stump, and they had both got a real laugh when it actually worked.

"Mommy, I beated you down!" Henry said excitedly, jumping around as JJ's Mii was pronounced KO. JJ laughed, pulling the Nunchuk away from her arm, and unclipping it from the remote.

"What do you want to play now?"

Henry thought for a moment. "You and Daddy can play tennis"

Will stood up, bringing Meilani over and setting her down on the couch. Henry sat up beside her, holding her on his lap, while JJ and Will set up the tennis game.

It turned furiously competitive, with JJ _demanding_ another rematch when she lost for the third time in a row. As they battled it out for the winning points, JJ caught up, pushed ahead, and managed to hit the winning serve.

"HA! I beat you!" she yelled, and pointing to Will, who was laughing at his wife's joy at winning.

"Now, cher, if you're that competitive at Regionals, you'll win hands down. The others will be too scared to get in the water," he teased. JJ giggled, putting her arm around Will's neck and kissing him.

"Ew! Mommy! Daddy, dat's gross!" Henry shrieked, covering his eyes. Will laughed, pulling away from the kiss and running towards Henry, roaring. Meilani squealed, laughing so hard she toppled off of her brother's lap, falling sideways onto the cushions. JJ had to laugh at her baby girl. Sitting down beside her, she lifted her into her lap, rubbing her back as she watched her husband chasing her young son around the living room. Will eventually caught up to Henry, scooping him up and throwing him over his shoulder. Henry screamed with laughter, his face going red from being upside down.

"Mommy! Tell Daddy to put me down!" he laughed.

"You'll have to ask him yourself," JJ replied, grinning. She laughed when Will tickled Henry so he couldn't speak, and eventually dropped him back onto the couch.

xxx

JJ sprawled across the couch in the front room, watching an old _ER_ re-run. It was one of her favourite episodes; three construction workers entered the ER covered in benzene, contaminating the ER and forcing an evacuation, causing a domino effect of chaos.

Will had gone out to see one of his friends who had recently moved to DC with his wife and baby girl, taking Meilani with him. JJ and Henry had had some quality time, playing Chutes and Ladders, G.I. Joe, and upon Henry's request, surfing in the backyard, before Henry was all worn out, and decided to watch TV.

Which had led JJ to her current position.

JJ was just getting a grip on what was going on in the storyline when she heard the sound of glass shattering, followed by Henry's scream of pain. Leaping off of the couch, she sprinted into the lounge room and looked towards the back door. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that Henry had obviously slipped and fallen, managing to shove his leg through the window in the process. There was broken glass and blood all over the floor. Henry was screaming, obviously in a lot of pain. It was then that JJ cursed having floor to ceiling windows, divided in half by one sill.

"Henry, what happened?" she exclaimed, grabbing the phone and then grabbing a couple of towels from the linen closet. Putting the phone on loudspeaker, she dialled Will's mobile and set it on the floor beside her.

"I spilt my drink...I wanted to dry it up...I slipped, Mommy!" Henry sobbed hysterically. JJ kissed his forehead, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"It's alright," she said softly. The phone went to voicemail, making JJ want to swear. '_Hi, you've reached Will LaMontagne. I can't answer your call right now, so leave a message, and I'll get back to ya A.S.A.P'_.

Henry was already hysterical, tears running down his cheeks from his red, puffy eyes. "Mommy, it hurts! It hurts! Mommy!"

JJ grabbed a tissue, wiping his tear stained cheeks. "I know buddy, I know. I want you to try something for me. Can you be my brave little boy?" she asked. Henry nodded, hiccupping as more tears leaked from his eyes.

"Alright, I want you to try and stop crying, ok? I know it hurts, but I want you to be my brave little man. Take a deep breath for me," JJ said softly, brushing his hair away again. Henry took a shaky breath, still whimpering every now and then.

"And another one," JJ said reassuringly. Henry took another breath, steadier than the last. He had stopped crying for the time being, but his eyes were red and swollen. While calming him down, JJ had called Will's phone a few more times, only to get voicemail. Trying once more, she left a message.

"Will, you need to get home, now! Henry's just slipped and put his leg through the window, and I'm about to call 911, because I can't move him by myself, let alone get him to the hospital. Please call me back!" she said urgently. Putting the phone down, she looked at Henry, a gentle expression in her eyes.

"Ok, Henry, it looks like we have to call 911," she told him. Henry's eyes widened. He might only be four, but he knew what 911 meant; emergency.

"Mommy!" he exclaimed, bursting into tears again. JJ squeezed his hand tightly, before picking up the phone again.

"I won't be able to lift you up without hurting you by myself, Henry, and if we can't get Daddy to come home, the ambulance will have to take you to the hospital," JJ explained. Also, because she couldn't drive when she was panicking on the inside; she needed to have a quick reaction time, and hysteria combined with one arm was not a good combination with an injured child in the backseat. But Henry wouldn't understand that.

Dialling 911, JJ set the phone on the floor and waited for the operator to pick up. "911, state your emergency"

"My son's just slipped, put his leg through the window, and slashed his leg open"

"How old is he?"

"Four"

"Ok, how long is the cut?"

JJ leaned over Henry, gently moving his track pants to get a closer look. "It looks about three inches, maybe four"

"Is his leg still in the window?"

"I don't want to move him"

"Ok, that's understandable, but you need to get him away from the glass. If he moves suddenly, the broken edge could nick an artery"

JJ paled slightly; there was already enough blood everywhere, let alone the possibility of more. "What do I do?"

"Is there any glass still attached to the window frame that is sticking into his leg?"

"No, but there is a big piece very close to the cut"

"Ok, wrap your hand in a towel, and carefully clear away as much of the window as you can"

JJ clenched a towel in her hand, swinging it around a few times to cover her fist. Hooking the end around her finger, she gently cleared away the window until there was a wide gap around Henry's leg. Following the operators next instruction, she knelt down behind Henry's head, bent her arm at the elbow, and held it over his chest.

"Hold onto my arm," she said softly. Henry gripped onto her arm, allowing her to slide him free of the window. First aid training kicking in, she managed to tie a towel around his leg, using her teeth and her hand, while confirming their current address. After that, she sat, Henry's head in her lap, comforting him, while they waited for the ambulance. Luckily, they didn't have to wait too long.

JJ led the paramedics to where Henry lay, and held his hand as they lifted him onto the gurney.

"Wow, that's a stunner. You're going to look so tough with a scar like that," one of the younger paramedics said warmly. Henry smiled weakly, gripping JJ's hand with a death grip as he was taken out to the ambulance.

xxx

A glass extraction, 34 stitches, and a hefty dose of Tylenol later, JJ sat entertaining Henry, when Will came into the room, Meilani on his hip.

"JJ, I'm sorry. I didn't get your message until I was in the car again, my phone battery died...I'm sorry," Will said apologetically. JJ gave him a tired smile.

"It's alright. I was a little freaked, but everything's ok. Henry was very brave, weren't you?" she replied, ruffling his hair. Henry looked up from the book he was concentrating on and grinned at his Daddy.

"I got two lollipops, Daddy!" he said proudly. Will put on a look of surprise.

"Wow buddy, did you? You must've been very brave if they gave you two," he said, sitting down on Henry's other side. Henry giggled, sticking out his tongue...which was bright blue.

"Oh my," Will said, laughing. JJ laughed as well, shaking her head at Henry's antics. Meilani cried out, squirming for Henry. Will lifted her up onto his lap, smiling when she settled down. Henry giggled again, giving his little sister a cuddle.

"Henry's all set to go," the doctor said, entering the room. Smiling at the family, he flipped through the discharge papers.

"I just need you to sign here, and here," he said softly. JJ scribbled her signature, and watched as the doctor fitted an ankle splint over Henry's leg, to keep him from stretching the skin and pulling the stitches. JJ took Meilani from Henry's lap, and Will took Henry into his arms. Tired, but glad it wasn't too serious, they headed for home.

xxx

JJ had woken up after a rarely occurring nightmare, when Henry began to cry and call out. Pulling herself out of bed, JJ dragged herself down the hall to Henry's room. Opening the door, she stepped inside and knelt down beside the bed.

"Hey buddy. What's wrong?" she asked, brushing his hair away from his wet eyes.

"It hurts, Mommy. I can't sleep," Henry told her softly. JJ reached down, signalling she was going to lift him up. Henry looped his arms around her neck and lifted his legs up to her hip while she supported his weight in her arm. It was a practised manoeuvre that required no thought whatsoever anymore.

JJ carried him to the kitchen, sitting him on the bench and grabbing the Tylenol and measuring cup she'd left by the sink. Measuring out the required amount, she handed it to him.

"Drink up," she instructed. Henry obediently tipped his head back, pouring the medicine into his mouth and swallowing in one gulp, handing the cup back to his mommy.

"Good boy, that'll make it feel a bit better, ok?" JJ said softly, lifting him back to her hip once she'd set the cup down. Carrying him back to his bedroom, she carefully lay him in his bed, taking care not to bump his leg against anything. As she made to leave, Henry grabbed her wrist.

"Mommy, can you stay?" he asked, flashing his best innocent puppy expression. JJ couldn't resist.

"Ok, but just tonight," she promised. Henry nodded. JJ slid in beside him, putting her arm around him and helping him to go to sleep by distracting him from the pain as they both drifted off to sleep after a very eventful day.

xxx

**_Aftermath_**

_The four weeks between my leaving the hospital and getting back in the water were a very difficult time for me. It was like going through puberty again. I was constantly worried about my body image, I had mood swings, and I was fighting for my independence. Yep, the more I think about it, the more it reminds me of my teenage years – except I had two arms back then. _

_I struggled to do a lot of everyday things. I discovered that I couldn't butter toast on the very first day I was home. I tried to cut a tomato to put in my sandwich for lunch that day and it slipped from under the knife and hit the floor. I couldn't tie up my sneakers, or my hair, and the most annoying thing?_

_I couldn't do up my own bra. (I can now, but god it was embarrassing before)_

_Will was extremely helpful, even in the bra situation. He could see I was embarrassed, and he didn't make a big deal out of it. Instead, he provided constant reassurance that with time and patience, things would get a lot easier._

_However, there were times when he was a little too helpful. At one point, I got so annoyed with him trying to help me (this was about a week after coming home), that I yelled at him, went into our bedroom (because we'd moved to a beach house instead of staying in the hotel), slammed the door, and cried for three hours. Will came in after those three hours and apologised for being so pushy and for upsetting me, but I'll admit, I was in the wrong, not him. All he was trying to do was make my life easier while I adjusted to my new body. I explained to him that all I wanted was my independence, as that was something I'd always prided myself on; not having to ask for help unless I really needed it._

_Now, Will only steps in if he senses I really can't do it on my own. There are some things that require a little help, but for the most part, I've got it down pat._

_After the first two weeks, I toned down the emotional breakdowns, because I realised I was stuck with one arm for the rest of my life, what was the point in crying over it? Emily and I bonded over the incident. In the early evenings, we would walk down to the beach and just sit on the sand, talking about what had happened. I was very closed off at first, not wanting to talk about how I felt at all. It didn't take long for Emily to coax it out of me. I'd admitted to her in the hospital that the shark had scared me, but that was it. Once she'd gotten to me to tell her how I felt as Morgan pulled me to the beach, it all came pouring out; it was unstoppable. Before I knew it, I'd told her everything. I truly believe that has brought us closer._

_I eventually shared all that with Will as well. It strengthened our relationship. The attack had rocked our relationship to the core, and left it hanging in tatters; not that we didn't love each other, we love each other so much, but more that neither of us knew how to deal with my loss, and how to make our bond work when I was constantly in tears. After sharing how I felt, we became stronger, and it definitely brought us closer. I think if I hadn't told him everything, we wouldn't still be together today, because he would've given up on handling my outrageous outburst. But the fact that he dealt with it makes me love him even more, because I can be pretty difficult._

_Now I'm getting off track. It had probably been about three weeks, and Hotch continued to show his soft side. He helped me re-learn how to prepare simple meals with ease; sandwiches, spaghetti, toast, pancakes, etc. Needless to say, there were LOTS of spillages, minor fires, and almost an explosion, but I'm really grateful that Hotch stepped in when he did. He was a godsend, because I couldn't even make my own lunch until then._

_I began to realise that while it was a dark part of my life, I actually had it pretty good. I had a family who cared about me, and I'm not just talking about my blood related family, I'm talking about Will and my team as well. I have a job that I love, despite its horrible nature. I have a home, food, clothes, and a warm bed to sleep in each night. Some people don't even have these basic necessities. So after a month out of the hospital, I realised that if I was willing to make the effort to cope, living with one arm wouldn't be as hard as I thought. And that was when I reached the conclusion._

_I wanted to get back in the water._

**A/N: Long, and longer to update than usual. Hope you liked, please review! BTW, we are returning to competition soon, so updates will get farther apart, because I have to figure out who's going to win, come second, third, etc, and then figure out what two scores they're going to get, make sure the scores add up to a final score that fits with the final placements, etc...needless to say, it's a precise process that I put a lot of time and work into. Chapter 26 was no easy feat.**

**Please drop a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	34. Daddy's Little Girl

**A/N: I understand this has taken a while. I have a heap of events ready for Soul Surfer, but I couldn't decide if I should use one, and if so, which one to use for this chapter.**

**IMPORTANT PLEASE READ!: Please vote in the new poll on my profile. It's extremely important that you do, I really need answers on this one, because this one I can't make up on my own.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

JJ knelt on the floor as Will stood behind Meilani, holding onto her hands. She had pulled herself up into a standing position, and now they were trying to coax her to walk.

"You gonna go see your Mama, bebe girl?" Will said sweetly. Meilani smiled widely, proudly showing off her two little teeth that had cut through as she bounced slightly. JJ felt her heart swell. Will was absolutely smitten with his little princess. She was going to be so spoiled as she got older.

"Ma!" Meilani exclaimed, pointing to JJ.

"Yeah, that's your mama. You gonna go see her?" Will encouraged. Henry plopped himself down beside his mommy, giggling as Meilani looked up at Daddy.

"Ma!" she exclaimed again.

"Come here, sweetie," JJ coaxed. Will gently extracted his hands from Meilani's little fingers, watching to see what she would do. Looking around, Meilani pointed to JJ and Henry again.

"'Lani!" Henry called, making his baby sister smile. She squealed with excitement upon seeing her big brother.

"Go to mama," Will said gently. Meilani saw JJ holding her arm out to her, and took one unbalanced step forward. As she took another step, she lost her balance and fell back on her little diapered butt, letting out a squeal of surprise before she started laughing. Will laughed, scooping up his precious girl and blowing a raspberry on her tummy.

"She almost did it, Mommy!" Henry said excitedly.

"I know, I saw!" JJ laughed, tickling Henry, being careful of his leg. The stitches had been taken out the week before, but he still had to be careful for just a little longer. Henry giggled, shuffling across the floor away from JJ. JJ grinned, letting him go.

"Mommy, we watch Lilo Stitch?" he asked, pointing to the DVD cabinet.

"We sure can. What do you think?" JJ replied, looking up at Will. Will smiled.

"Sounds great, doesn' it bebe girl?" Will said, tickling Meilani. Meilani squealed with laughter, her dark brown curls flopping over her eyes.

xxx

Will sat on the floor by the door of the wardrobe, digging through the pile of stuff JJ was throwing from the back. After settling Henry to watch a movie, and finding Meilani fast asleep on the floor underneath the coffee table, they were cleaning out their wardrobe.

JJ would throw everything out into the pile, while Will sorted the pile into 'Keep' and 'Throw out' piles. The pile that was getting thrown out was scarily large.

JJ got right into the back corner of the wardrobe, and plunged her hand into a pile of stuff that had to have been sitting there for about a year and a half. She frowned when she hit a wrinkled paper bag with something inside.

Will noticed she'd stopped rifling around, and looked up. "Jayje? What is it?"

JJ pulled the bag out from under the pile and shuffled back beside Will.

"I don't know," she said, looking up at him. He raised his eyebrows, and watched as she pried the bag open. Pulling her hand back out again, she pulled out a blue and purple bikini and a pair of matching board shorts. Will wasn't sure what they were doing in the bag until she turned them over.

The left side of the bikini top and the board shorts were stained red. The bottoms were only pale pink, but they were still stained. They were the bathers that JJ had been wearing the day of the attack. Will could now vaguely remember burying the bag at the bottom of the suitcase so JJ wouldn't have to see that her favourite bikini was ruined, and could also vaguely remember JJ throwing it to the back of the wardrobe without even looking inside.

"Huh. I'd always liked these," JJ said simply. Will looked at her incredulously, and found that she was grinning.

"We could wash them?" he suggested. JJ laughed, shaking her head.

"No point. They've been sitting back there...fermenting-"

Will burst out laughing, making JJ laugh even harder.

"-...for nearly two years. Those bloodstains aren't coming out"

"But they're your favourites," Will added.

"Not anymore. Besides, they were bad luck," JJ said nonchalantly, turning them over again and looking at the other side.

"How so?" Will asked, cocking his eyebrow.

"Well, the first time I wore them, I was walking over some rocks at a beach with a friend of mine, and I slipped and cut my leg open. The second time, I fell off my surfboard and got a massive bruise on my hip-"

"I think they call that bein' a klutz, babe," Will teased. JJ whacked his shoulder as he burst out laughing.

"-and then the last time I wore them, I got attacked by a shark. I'm not taking my chances in these again. I might die," JJ said simply. Will couldn't help but laugh, even though it was a pretty morbid statement. JJ laughed with him, tossing the swimwear into the pile to be thrown out.

xxx

Will couldn't have been more proud as his baby girl toddled towards him on unbalanced legs. JJ was filming with the camera, and Henry was sitting beside Will, encouraging his baby sister.

"Come on, Lani, you can do it, bebe girl!" Will said excitedly. Meilani let out a squeal, closing the gap between her and Daddy and collapsing into his lap.

"Hey! Oh, you're gettin' so big, aren't you?" Will cooed, cuddling Meilani. Henry threw his arms around Daddy's neck, getting in on the hug.

"There we go, Henry too. Mommy?" Will teased. JJ grinned, setting the camera on the table, still recording, and joining in on their hug, enveloping the two kids between herself and Will. And there they had a beautiful family moment, captured forever on video.

xxx

JJ rested her head against the curve of Will's neck as they both caught their breath. Looking up into Will's green eyes, she smiled.

"You're amazing," she whispered. Will kissed the tip of her nose in an affectionate gesture, pulling her closer.

"I love havin' sex with you," Will growled playfully, making JJ laugh and blush at the same time.

"But with you, it's not just sex. It truly is 'making love'," she said softly, stretching up towards him and kissing him deeply. Will smiled, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back on top of him for round two.

xxx

Meilani sat in her high chair, eyeing off the cake in front of her. JJ and Will had bought two cakes; one for everyone to eat, and a little one for Meilani to destroy.

As their rendition of 'Happy Birthday' ended, Will helped Meilani blow the candle out, before plucking it from the top of the cake. They all waited to see what she would do.

Meilani reached out and poked the cake, giggling when it sank under her finger, which made them laugh. Then, like a seagull swooping in on a chip, she brought both hands down onto the cake, crushing it, and smearing it all over her arms. Grabbing a handful, she decided to taste test, and got it all over her face in the process. Then came the grand finale.

She picked up what was left of the cake and put it on her head, causing everyone to howl with laughter.

"Silly Lani!" Henry giggled from where he was sitting on Morgan's shoulders. Jack was giggling hysterically too. Meilani looked very pleased with herself as JJ took a photo, struggling to keep the camera steady because she was laughing so hard.

xxx

After putting Meilani to bed, and checking on Henry, who was already fast asleep, JJ retreated to the lounge room, closing the hallway door behind her. Falling onto the couch, she swung her legs over Will's lap, resting back against the L bend in the couch. Will rubbed her legs gently as they sat in comfortable silence.

"You know, I told your team about Regionals," Will said after a while. JJ lifted her head, looking at him with a frown.

"And?"

"They're comin' to watch"

"They're what?" JJ exclaimed, sitting up fully. Will grinned.

"They wanna support you"

"How did they get time off for that?"

"I think Strauss softened up a bit to you guys after your attack"

"She probably feels guilty because she practically paid for me to get my arm bitten off," JJ said nonchalantly, making Will laugh.

"Maybe"

JJ changed positions, curling into his side, playing with the hem of his shirt as he put his arm around her.

"What bikini are you gonna wear this time?" Will whispered suggestively. JJ poked him in the rib, making him flinch.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"For being a perv," JJ teased, lifting her face and kissing him.

xxx

_**Back In The Water**_

_It was about six weeks after the attack when I finally decided it was time to start pulling things back together and bringing back as much of my old life as I could. Seeing as we were in Hawaii, I figured the best place to start was surfing, because it was something I'd loved since I was just a little kid._

_But, I had to wait until the stitches came out. Luckily, by the time I made my decision, I only had to wait three days. I was quite agitated during the removal of the stitches, because all I could think about was getting back in the water, having that rush as I stood up on a surfboard again. Of course, I hadn't told anyone, so Will had no clue as to why I was so irritated._

_The following morning, I got up, and I decided that it was the day I would get back in the water. I made breakfast for my family, all by myself (yeah, I was pretty darn proud of myself), and when they asked what the occasion was, I told them exactly what I had in mind._

_It seemed everyone was pretty excited. Breakfast was wolfed down, and then everyone shot off in various directions to change into their bathers. I was first changed (huge surprise there), and I walked out to the back garden, which faced onto the beach. In front of the back porch was a pile of old surfboards. Derek found me pondering which board to use, and helped me out by simply putting the nine footer under my arm. With his board under his arm, he helped me lug the huge board down to the beach, by which time, everyone else was ready as well._

_As I paddled out, I realised how much harder it was with one less arm. Paddling, as I mentioned earlier, requires a hefty amount of arm strength. The fact that my right arm was my remaining arm helped a fair bit, but it didn't quite make up the difference between one and two arms. Derek offered to tow me out, but I was determined to do it on my own. I had to do it on my own._

_My first wave that I tried to catch, I grabbed the rail and the board slid to my left, throwing me into the water. I didn't realise then that if I continued to grab the rail, there was no hope of getting up._

_After a few more very disastrous attempts to get up, Derek told me to put my hand on the stringer (the wooden strip that runs from the nose to the tail of a surfboard in a straight line). I didn't get up the first time I tried this, but I could feel the difference; it was easier. I could tell then that surfing was still a possibility._

_I was very nearly ready to get out of the water when I saw a perfect wave. Laying down, I paddled quickly (I'd quickly adjusted to paddling in the forty minutes I was out there), and as the wave caught the board, I dropped my arm across the surfboard, pushed up onto my hand, swung my feet underneath me, and before I could even register what was going on, I was standing. I was so happy I could've cried as my family cheered and made a hell of a lot of noise from the beach._

_Once I was up, it was easy. I turned and rode along the length of the wave before I slid off into the water and made my way over to where the others were still excited. I was enveloped in a hug, and I had never been happier._

_My life wasn't a flunk. It was going to get better from there._

**A/N: So, please leave a review?**

**IMPORTANT PLEASE READ!: Please vote in the new poll on my profile. It's extremely important that you do, I really need answers on this one, because this one I can't make up on my own.**

**SQ215 xxx**


	35. Hawaiian Island Regionals

**A/N: Getting intense!**

**IMPORTANT!: Please vote in the poll on my profile page!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

"It's goin' to be a lot more intense at Regionals," Will said as JJ threw clothes into her suitcase.

"I know"

"Surf's big"

JJ looked up, seeing the worry on his face. Smiling softly, she put her arm around his neck and kissed him gently. "I promise I'll come in if I can't handle it, ok?"

Will smiled, satisfied as he kissed her again.

xxx

"Aloha, kaka uake. Good morning. I'm Piper Borraow"

"And I'm Rob Bucannan"

"And we'd like to welcome you to the Hawaiian Island Regionals"

"How do you feel?" Will asked as the group traipsed onto the beach.

"Like barfing," JJ admitted.

"Yeah, well aim for Melissa," Morgan replied sarcastically, making JJ smile.

"Why are you nervous? You've competed before," Emily said simply, stopping beside Penelope, who was busy setting up a camera so they could film JJ surfing.

"Not at this level. It's a lot bigger out there today, so that doesn't help either," JJ explained, putting her board down on the sand with everyone's stuff.

"If you don't want to do this, you don't have to," Will said gently.

"I'm not gonna pull out now. Besides, everyone knows I've entered. It's now or never," JJ replied defiantly, looking up at Will.

"JJ!" someone called. JJ looked up, and recognised Zoe Madson. Ever since the competition in Turtle Bay, JJ and Zoe had surfed together in some other competitions, and had become good friends. She grinned, standing up and hugging Zoe.

"Excited?" Zoe asked.

"More nervous than anything," JJ admitted.

"You'll be fine. I've seen you surf many times. Trust me," Zoe said encouragingly.

"Let's go get the rash guards," JJ suggested. Zoe nodded, chattering excitedly as they walked off to hand in their signup sheets.

"Great to have you here, JJ, Zoe," the RipCurl guy said as JJ and Zoe stepped up to the entry desk.

"Thanks, it's good to be here," JJ replied, smiling warmly. Melissa Grey stepped up between the girls, holding herself confidently. JJ had competed against her in her second competition, and the two had quickly developed a strong rivalry.

"So, you're actually going through with this?" she asked as she took her grey rash guard from the table.

JJ grabbed her blue one. "Yeah"

Melissa smirked, sauntering off without a backwards glance. JJ turned to Zoe, rolling her eyes before heading back to where the others were waiting.

xxx

As they sat in the sand before the heat, waxing their boards, an official approached them.

"Hey, JJ"

"Hey"

"Judges have approved giving you a five minute head start"

Melissa turned around, smirking knowingly at her blonde competitor.

"I don't want it," JJ said coolly.

"JJ," Zoe cut in, trying to convince her to take the head start.

"I don't need it," JJ replied quickly. The official looked between the two girls before nodding.

"Ok," he said, heading off. Melissa quirked her eyebrows at JJ, before turning away to continue waxing her board. JJ sighed, rolling her eyes as she waxed the surface of her surfboard.

As the horn blew, the six girls sprinted down the beach, boards under their arms, heading down to the water's edge.

JJ was behind Zoe and Melissa as they entered the water. With a quick movement, she dropped her board down on the surface of the water and lay down on it, beginning to paddle as soon as she was lying on the fibreglass surface. She battled through the choppy leftovers from previous waves, trying to pick up the pace.

"Come on, JJ," Will muttered to himself.

"First heat has started and the girls are making their way out into the lineup"

JJ paddled at a steady pace, seeing a wave approaching. Trying to conserve the energy she had to paddle with one arm, she opted to go over the unbroken wave rather than duck dive. Keeping up the steady paddle, she remained alongside Zoe the whole way out to the lineup.

Seeing a wave approaching, she turned and began paddling for it.

"All right, we've got Jennifer Jareau in the blue rash guard trying to catch her first wave"

The team, plus Will and Paul, Zoe's boyfriend, rose to their feet to cheer her on.

"See ya!" Melissa called cruelly, picking up the excess speed and taking the drop. JJ sighed in frustration, splashing a handful of water in Melissa's direction as she paddled back out to the lineup.

"Jennifer unable to get into that wave. Meanwhile, Melissa Grey, scratches into what looks like a good one"

JJ pushed herself into a sitting position, turning and looking out towards the wave forming point on the horizon.

"Alright, Melissa Grey dropped in on that inside roll, nice bottom turn, off the bottom, coming up. Comes around the corner, hits a nice vertical off the top there...as she kicks out to the challengers"

JJ paddled quickly past her competitor, Emily, placed her hand flat on the stringer, and pushed up to her feet.

"Jareau drops into a nice looking wave"

JJ went up along the shoulder, turning to her right sharply, drawing out the turn for about ten metres, leaning right down and skimming the water with her fingertips.

"Ooh, a little loss of control there-"

Pulling up, she snapped the nose through the white water, turning back along the wave.

"-but nice recovery as she cuts back into the white water. Should be a decent scoring ride for the surfer in blue"

Zoe paddled with ease as she took a nice drop.

"All right, Zoe Madson drops into a wave of her own, nice off the bottom, big snap off the top. Sets up again for a nice cut back into the white water. Speeding down the line. Looking for a little tube section, gets in there. Threads that little barrel...and exits"

Zoe dove over the curl over the wave, sinking under the cool water.

"Nice wave for Zoe Madson"

"All right, Rockwell, it looks like at the ten minute mark, we have Melissa Grey in first with a 7.3 on her first ride. Zoe Madson is second with a 6.2, and in third place, Jenna Pocock with a 5.3"

JJ fought through the choppy water, fighting to get out to the waves that were getting steadily bigger.

"The surf is picking up," Emily said worriedly to Morgan and Will.

"Whoa, look at that outside, Piper, there's a big set approaching. It looks like Jennifer Jareau is going to get caught inside of the biggest wave of the day"

"Come on, JJ, come on!" Morgan called encouragingly.

JJ paddled towards the wave, which was racing ferociously towards her, gripping the handle on her board and pushing down. Taking a deep breath, she sank under the water, but the ferocity of the wave yanked her board away from her in such a way that the handle gave under her grip and snapped away from the board. JJ fought to keep herself oriented as her board was ripped away from her and she was tossed into a choppy undercurrent.

"Mountains of water rolling through here at Sunset Beach, and it looks like our competitor in blue, Jennifer Jareau, is taking some donuts out there"

JJ surfaced, coughing as she caught her breath, and then looked at her board before climbing onto it.

"Shit!" she exclaimed, noticing the lack of a handle. The competition had just got that much harder for her.

The rescue ski approached her as she pulled herself up onto her board.

"No! I'm fine!" she exclaimed, waving him off.

"I knew she wouldn't come in," Will said anxiously. Morgan gripped his shoulder, letting him know that he'd thought exactly the same thing.

JJ attempted to push down with a flat hand as a wave barrelled over her, throwing her into a nasty churn. Her lungs were on fire as she went around in the swirling washing machine like current below the surface.

Surfacing, she spat the salt water out of her mouth, taking deep breaths as she grabbed her board, while Zoe paddled up beside her.

"JJ, grab my leash, I'll pull you the rest of the way," she said firmly.

"No, I'm fine. I can do this!" JJ replied defiantly as she clambered back onto her board, even though she knew that without the handle, she was fighting a losing battle.

"Come on, JJ!" Spencer yelled over the cheering.

"All right, four minutes left, and Jennifer Jareau is still stuck in the impact zone, Rob"

"Jennifer, in sixth place right now. Still needing quite a score"

"She's ok," Morgan said comfortingly to Will.

JJ paddled faster than before as she began the run to take the drop. Melissa noticed what she was aiming for, and began to paddle as well, closing the gap between them.

"Melissa, don't! You have enough, let her have it!" Zoe yelled desperately. Melissa ignored her, steamrolling past JJ and dropping into the wave.

JJ hit the water angrily as Melissa sailed into the wave, and then watched, immediately more frustrated, as Zoe dropped in on Melissa.

"Oh, Zoe Madson's just dropped in on Melissa Grey!"

Zoe sped down beside her competitor, hitting their boards together and throwing herself at Melissa, plunging both of them into the water.

"That is definitely going to be an interference call on Madson. Zoe Madson will not make it on this heat, has been disqualified for the interference"

JJ pushed down desperately on her board as an avalanche of white water enveloped her.

Will watched helpless as JJ was tossed around like a ragdoll in the surf. He wanted nothing more than to run in and pull her out.

JJ surfaced, barely catching her breath before another wave pounded her down into the currents.

Will gave in when JJ's board was thrown down onto the sandbar, snapping in half with the impact.

"I can't take it anymore, I want you to get her out of there!" he demanded, turning to Morgan.

"I know-"

"I want her out of there"

"The lifeguards are on it," Morgan cut in firmly, steadying Will with his hand on the Southerner's shoulder.

"Oh man, it looks like she broke her board. Well, unfortunately for Jennifer Jareau, a broken board puts her in a bad position. With only 3 minutes remaining, there's no chance she's making it out of this first heat"

JJ, furious with her stupid decision to stay in the water, reached up and allowed the rescue guy to pull her onto the back of the ski.

xxx

Morgan fished the pieces of her board out of the water as Zoe and JJ came up onto the sand.

"You shouldn't have dropped in on Melissa like that!" JJ said angrily, storming up the slope.

"She was trying-"

"She was just hassling me, like she always does!" JJ cut in, her voice rising.

"She's a jerk!" Zoe said finally.

"At least she was treating me like I was real competition!" JJ yelled, turning her back on Zoe and heading up towards Will, who was coming towards her with a towel.

"JJ!" Emily called, following Rossi and Hotch as they fought through the throng of cameras and reporters that were swarming down onto JJ.

"JJ, what happened to you out there!" the reporters were yelling.

"Can we please just get out of here?" JJ pleaded with Hotch as he ran up beside her.

"Make a path! Get out of the way!" Rossi yelled.

JJ found herself standing in the middle of a circle of reporters. Normally, it wouldn't have thrown her off, but they were crowding her, and yelling in her face. Looking around at them, listening as they shouted questions in her direction, she did the only thing that she knew would shut them up.

Grabbing the hem of her rash guard, she pulled it off, exposing every side of her stump to the reporters and the cameras. They fell silent, finally seeing what they'd been itching to ask her about all day.

And within a few moments, the cameras began clicking like mad as Will ran up behind her with a towel.

"Ok, that's enough!" he yelled, throwing the towel around her and covering her arm from their view. Putting his arms around her, he led her back up the beach, followed by everyone but Zoe and Paul, heading for the carpark.

"JJ, I know that you got beat up pretty bad out there today, but you can't let it get you down-" Will started.

"Enough, Will, ok! I can't do this anymore!" JJ yelled, pushing him away angrily, causing him to stumble, and throwing her towel in his direction as she stormed towards the truck.

"Yes, you can, JJ-!"

Emily rounded, placing her hand flat against Will's chest and stopping him. "Listen to her"

As JJ approached the truck, three girls came running towards her.

"JJ! JJ! JJ!" the tallest girl called excitedly as she ran up to JJ, followed by her two friends. JJ looked up as they approached her, not quite sure what was going to happen.

"Hey, JJ! Can I get your autograph?" the tallest girl asked, holding out a piece of paper and a pen. JJ looked at all the girls, staying silent for a minute.

"I have something even better actually," she said finally. Turning around, she walked around to the back of the truck, grabbing the latch and pulling it down. The others watched as she grabbed one of the three old short boards, JJ's old ones that had lived in the back of the truck since arriving in Hawaii. She'd only brought them in case she desperately needed them.

Pulling the first one out, she handed it to the first girl. "Here"

"Cool!" the girl exclaimed, taking it from her and running her hand along the rail.

"JJ, what are you doing?" Spencer asked softly. JJ ignored him, pulling the second one out and handing it to one of the other girls.

"Oh my god! This is so cool!" the girl said in disbelief as she reached forward and took it from JJ.

JJ smiled as she handed the smallest girl the smallest board.

"Awesome, thanks!" the girl exclaimed.

"Enjoy them," JJ called after them as they walked off, in awe of the surfboards they had just scored. Walking around to the door, she opened the back of the truck and slid inside, resting her elbow on the handhold once the door was closed. Will came to the open window, resting his hand on the edge.

"JJ," he said softly.

"Will, just stop. Okay? It's over," she said sharply. Emily and Morgan exchanged shocked glances. They'd always thought that JJ knew she had a bright surfing life ahead of her.

xxx

"That's not what I'm saying," Emily sighed.

"We can't give up on her," Will replied.

"And you can't keep pushing at her!" Emily exclaimed.

"Well, what are we supposed to do, just let her quit?"

"If she wants to, yes"

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard"

JJ sat on the end of the bed she shared with Will, watching the video of her surfing in her first surf competition at Turtle Bay. Everything had gone so well that day. She'd decided then that competing was something she wanted, something she could do. And now it had gone down the plughole. Even if the handle on her board was fixed, she knew that it would probably happen again. Most competitions were surfed in fast riding, rough waves.

"Then you're not hearing what I'm saying!" Emily exclaimed.

"What? What is it that I'm not hearin'?" Will asked.

"You can't always fix everything by sheer will! Sometimes there is no easy fix!"

JJ turned the volume up on the video to block out the sound of her husband and her friend fighting.

"_This was a great start to competition from all these ladies. We can only hope they continue to compete in the future"_

"She's a surfer. She's a competitor"

"To you, to everyone here, Will, she's more than that"

"Emily, if she walks away from this...if she quits, she may never get back in the water again, and she will never be the same"

"Haven't you realised yet that she will _never_ be the same? Not after what she's been through!" Emily exclaimed in frustration. Will sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"If she thinks the only life out there for her is surfing, and she can't make that happen, she's going to be lost. Really lost. And she'll need someone to be there for her, and that's you," Emily said softly. Will avoided Emily's gaze, choosing instead to look out to where the waves were breaking on the beach.

xxx

_**Normality**_

_My life is pretty much normal again, despite the fact that I'm sometimes on TV, or that I'm writing this book. I've learned how to deal with having one hand, and there's only a small list of things I can't do. I can actually dress myself now. It wasn't like I couldn't before, but I did struggle with some things for a little while. Things like buttoning shirts, and tying up my sneakers. I only wear sneakers if: 1) Will's home, 2) They're already tied, or 3) I absolutely have to wear them. Otherwise, I can get away with wearing something else._

_I still need help. And at first, I was reluctant to accept it, because I'd always been such an independent person. After the attack, after I'd accepted the reality of one arm, I fought long and hard to have my independence back. That fight included refusing help from anyone. Will eventually convinced me I was being stupid; needing help didn't make me weak or dependent, it just made me smart enough to realise if I was taking on too much. The things I usually need help with are tying up my hair when it's too warm to leave it down, and carrying heavy things._

_In Hawaii, before the attack, all I was eating was fruit. So, after the attack, I was pretty disappointed to discover that peeling an orange was next to impossible...until I realised I could hold it between my feet. That's how I chop things as well. Needless to say, I don't prepare meals for my family anymore. Will teases me, saying it's so unhygienic. It's not like I go and walk through manure first._

_The one thing Will is always willing to help me with is tying up my bikinis (wow, I wonder why?). I have so many different bikinis, and they always need to be tied up, and I'm really not the best person for that job._

_I think the best thing about all this is that Henry and Meilani don't know any different. Henry was two when I was attacked, and he adjusted really quickly. He seemed a little shocked when I was in hospital, but he quickly pushed it aside. If he didn't know better, he'd think having one arm was the norm for everyone, that's how quickly he adjusted to it._

_Meilani won't know any different. She was born after my attack, and for that reason, she's going to grow up with me having one arm, for her whole life. Not that Will or I think it's going to bother her. It doesn't bother Henry, it doesn't bother me or Will, why should it bother Meilani?_

_People always ask me what the hardest thing about the attack and having one arm is. I have only one answer for that._

_The hardest thing about the attack is that I almost died. I almost lost everything I'd come to know in a split second. And the hardest thing about having one arm is that I have a daily reminder of just how close I came to dying._

_But I'm so grateful that I didn't._

**A/N: What do you think? Next chapter soon.**

**Please leave a review!**

**Please please PLEASE vote in the poll on my profile!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	36. Life's A Beach

**A/N: I swear to God, I am going to KILL my neighbour! Hopefully writing this will calm me down!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Will walked slowly along the beach in bare feet, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the water as it sank below the horizon, leaving streaks of pink and orange through the sky.

Ahead of him, about fifty yards off, he could see JJ sitting at the end of the jetty that jutted out into the ocean. She had her feet hanging over the edge and her head was hung.

Approaching the end of the jetty, he sat down beside her, watching her with concern.

"Go on. Tell me that everything's going to be ok," she sighed, avoiding his gaze.

"Yep, that's me. Mr Jump-Right-In-And-Fix-It," Will replied, leaning back on his hands. JJ rolled her eyes, turning to look at him.

"Why are you here? I said I wanted to be left alone," she mumbled, looking back into the darkening water.

"You were gone for ages. And I was worried about you"

"I left because I couldn't stand to listen to you and Emily fighting over me. I need some time to think"

"I'm sorry you had to hear that"

"Will, please...I just want to think. By myself"

Will sighed, putting his hand on the small of her back and leaning forward a little so he could see her face. "What's this about, cher?"

"It's about everything! The fact that I thought I could do this, that I thought everything was going to be ok, but that turned out to be wrong anyway!"

"Jayje, look at me...look at me," Will said gently. JJ turned to look at him, her blue eyes filled with tears.

"You have done amazin' things these past two years. You proved everyone wrong after the attack, when we thought you wouldn't surf again. Look at you now, you just surfed a Regional level competition with one arm"

"I blew it. I broke my board...you gave that to me for Christmas," JJ said, looking up at him sadly.

"It doesn' matter. The most important thing is that you're alright. And every once in a while, you're goin' to get a bad result"

"If the handle hadn't snapped, I would've been fine!" JJ exclaimed. Will grinned.

"JJ, I put that handle on that board, and you know what I'm like. My handyman skills are about as reliable as a monkey flying an airplane-"

JJ couldn't help but laugh as the words left his mouth.

"I bet you we could find a way around it"

"I don't want to do it anymore," JJ said softly. Will exhaled slowly, putting his arm around her and pulling her closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. Kissing her temple, he rested his head against hers.

"That's your decision. I'll support you no matter what," he said softly, taking her hand in his other. JJ inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as she cuddled up against Will, liking the feeling of his arms around her. It made her feel more at ease.

xxx

JJ walked along the beach, grinning as Henry chased the waves. He would run towards them, and when they crashed on the shore, run as fast as his little legs would carry him in the opposite direction. Will was walking about ten metres behind her, holding Meilani's hand as she toddled along the beach. After her first steps, she'd become adventurous, and could now walk quite easily. Morgan and Emily were out surfing, while Hotch, Jack, Penelope, and Rossi were building a sandcastle, with Spencer as the 'architect'.

"Mommy!" Henry screeched, running towards her and throwing his arms around her legs, very nearly knocking her over.

"Woah, Henry, calm down," JJ laughed, ruffling his hair before detaching his arms from her knees. Henry giggled, slipping his hand into hers as they turned back towards the house.

When they reached the beach in front of the house, the others had almost finished their sandcastle.

"Cool! I help?" Henry asked, running over beside Jack.

"Daddy, can Henry help?" Jack asked Hotch, looking at his father.

"He sure can. Here, Henry, why don't you help Jack put the shells on?" Hotch replied, handing Henry some of the shells they'd found. Will came up behind JJ, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. Meilani plopped herself in the sand beside Rossi. Rossi smiled, lifting Meilani up onto his shoulders so she could see the castle. Meilani squealed, giggling as she watched the others putting the finishing touches on the castle.

"What are you thinkin' about?" Will asked softly. JJ smiled, turning her head and looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Nothing of particular importance," she said softly, pecking his lips. Emily and Morgan smiled at the married couple as they walked up the sand to join the rest of the group.

"Comfortable there?" Morgan teased. JJ didn't even look away from Will's eyes when she answered.

"Very, thanks for asking," she said sarcastically, making her colleagues laugh.

xxx

A heated game of beach soccer (with plenty of lingering kisses between the two couples in the group) led to a 'wrestling match', that led to Will slinging JJ over his shoulder, marching into the water, and dropping her in, fully clothed, which cracked everyone up.

"Will!" JJ shrieked, throwing herself at him and pushing him into an oncoming jumper wave. The others decided to join them in the water, running in fully clothed as well. Henry squealed as Emily splashed him playfully, while Meilani was perched happily on Morgan's shoulders.

Will pulled himself up, his clothes hanging on him as he moved towards JJ and pulled her into a deep kiss, prompting Henry to squeal and cover his eyes, and the others to wolf whistle.

"You're so paying for this later," JJ breathed in Will's ear before she pulled away. Will grinned knowingly as he watched her run towards Henry and scoop him up. Henry squealed, laughing hysterically as she dropped him into the shallow water, soaking the little boy.

"Mommy!" he exclaimed when he stood up. JJ had to laugh. His hair was matted down to his face. He reached up, swiping it away, before running, as best he could, towards his mommy, yelling and laughing as he chased her.

xxx

Henry climbed up on the chair beside Emily. There were the only two up at that point, and the house was quiet.

"Good morning, Henry," Emily said with a smile, putting down the newspaper she'd been reading.

"G'morning, Em'y," Henry giggled, making Emily smile. He was adorable.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. Henry nodded, hopping down off the chair and following her into the kitchen. Emily lifted him up onto the kitchen bench, and then leant against the counter.

"What would you like?"

Henry looked thoughtful for a minute. "We have pancakes?"

Emily grinned. "I think we can manage that"

As Emily set to work making the pancake batter, Henry watched on, passing the things she needed, like a spoon, a bowl, paper towel, and flour, which had been sitting on the bench to begin with.

"Why Mommy not surf anymore?" he asked suddenly. Emily looked at Henry, looking thoughtful.

"Well, you know how her surfboard got broken at the competition?"

Henry nodded. "I think that may have upset your mom a little bit, and I think it's a bit hard at the moment"

Henry nodded, satisfied with her answer.

"Ok, time to cook some cakes!" Emily exclaimed. Henry giggled.

"They're not cakes!" he laughed.

"Really? Then why are they called pancakes?"

"Because they get made in a pan! And they're cakes!"

"You just told me they weren't"

"Em'y, I on'y 4. I dunno," Henry said seriously. Emily cracked up laughing as she moved towards the stove to cook the pancakes. Henry giggled, jumping down off the bench top and standing beside Emily.

xxx

JJ opened the door to Jack and Henry's room, sticking her head around the door. The two boys were sitting on Jack's bed, giggling hysterically at something only a young boy would understand.

"Hey! Go to sleep!" she scolded. Henry jumped, which only made Jack laugh harder. Scurrying back across the room to his bed, Henry buried himself under the covers. As soon as JJ had closed the door again, she heard them laughing again. Grinning, she crossed the hallway to hers and Will's room, finding him sitting on the bed in nothing but his track pants.

"Now that's a view I could get used to," she teased, crossing the room and climbing up beside. Will raised his eyebrows, smiling a little. They sat in silence until JJ spoke again.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked softly. Will frowned, turning to look at her.

"For what?"

"I don't know, maybe for quitting? Or for lashing out at you on the day of competition? Maybe even for breaking the surfboard"

"JJ, that wasn' your fault. You lost control, and the board broke 'cause o' the water, not 'cause o' you"

"I still quit"

"Yeah, but it doesn' bother me. If you wanna quit, that's up to you. I'm not mad at you for anythin'. If you think I am, then you're a pretty bad profiler," Will teased. JJ broke into a grin, hitting his shoulder. Will retaliated by pinning her to the bed and tickling her sides. JJ screamed, bursting out laughing as she tried to push him away.

"Will! Please!" she screamed, laughing hysterically. Will laughed as well, moving his hands to her stomach.

"Please what?" he teased. JJ was laughing so hard she was crying.

"Please...stop!" she managed to say. Someone knocked heavily on the wall beside them.

"Will you two keep it down?" Morgan's voice groaned. Will let JJ go, allowing her to breathe finally. JJ reached up, pulling him down for a kiss.

"I love you," she whispered, pecking his lips once, twice, three times.

"I love you too, beautiful," Will whispered back, deepening the kiss.

**A/N: Sorry, this took a while. Off for my flying lesson!**

**Please leave a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	37. Iekika's Influence

**A/N: So, this chapter, I've been thinking about for quite a while.**

**HAPPY EASTER!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

"So you just quit?" Bethany exclaimed, throwing her hand up in the air. JJ sighed, resting her chin on her arm, which was resting on the kitchen bench.

"Yeah"

"JJ, you're incredible, you really are, but sometimes, you can be really stupid"

"Thanks for the pep talk"

"JJ, I'm serious," Bethany said softly, feeling defeated. JJ sat up straight, sighing again.

"I broke my board, I nearly drowned, I came last. I don't want to do it anymore," she explained simply. Bethany bit her lip, before looking back at her friend.

"It's hard. I know it is, my first competition wasn't great-"

"Yeah, but this wasn't my first, this was my seventh!"

"It's hard! But do you just give up when it gets too hard?"

JJ didn't reply, knowing Bethany had caught her there.

"JJ, you have incredible potential. I've seen you surf. Trust me, you would work your way up the rankings in no time. Please tell me you'll give this another go," Bethany pleaded, gripping JJ's hand. JJ squared her jaw, looking Bethany straight in the eye.

"No," she said finally, pulling free and sliding off the stool. Bethany shook her head, grabbing her car keys and heading out the door.

"Where are you going?" JJ asked.

"I know a lost cause when I see one," Bethany called back, closing the door behind her. JJ exhaled heavily, exiting the house through the back sliding door and heading down to the beach for another walk along the sand.

xxx

Seeing as they had another week in Hawaii, the team had been asked to consult on a particularly bad case in Oahu. JJ and Morgan were sent to the hospital to talk to the latest victim, while the others spread out to various other locations. Will stayed at the beach house with Henry and Jack, keeping them amused for the day.

Morgan took a deep breath as he looked around the doorframe of Iekika Gryde's hospital room. Picking up the chart near the door, he scanned the doctor's comments. Sighing, he turned back towards the end of the hallway and approached JJ, who was standing with Iekika's doctor.

"She doesn't seem to be badly emotionally traumatised. She talks freely with the nurses, but she insists she's not ready to talk about what happened to her," the doctor was saying.

"Well, that's what we're here to do," JJ replied gently. Morgan stepped up, looking at JJ.

"I think you should be the one to talk to her," he said gently.

"Why?" JJ asked.

"Her chart...apparently she's lost the use of her right arm. Chronic paralysis due to trauma," Morgan persisted. JJ nodded, turning back to the nurse at the desk.

"How do you pronounce her name?"

"Eye-ee-ka," the nurse replied. JJ smiled in thanks, before giving Morgan a pointed look, and heading down the hall to Iekika's room. Entering the room slowly, and making sure the young girl knew she was there, she closed the door. Iekika looked to be about 14 or 15, with long brown hair that had been cleaned and combed by a kind nurse. Pulling up a chair beside Iekika's bed, she sat down.

"Iekika? My name's Jennifer Jareau. I'm with the FBI-"

"I know who you are," Iekika said softly, avoiding JJ's gaze. JJ half smiled.

"Ok then...who are you?" she humoured. Iekika turned her head to look at JJ.

"Iekika Mai Gryde. My name is Hawaiian for Jessica, chosen because my parents think they're Hawaiian natives, just because they moved here a year before I was born. They're both lawyers from Detroit. I prefer Kiki...it sounds more normal," she sighed.

"I prefer JJ. It's shorter, and much more convenient for people who are terrible with names," JJ said nonchalantly. The tone she used brought a soft smile to Iekika's face. JJ felt like she was getting somewhere. She'd already established a relationship with the girl. Some victims were easier to crack than others.

"Can I call you JJ?"

JJ smiled. "Of course you can"

"I'm guessing you want to know all about what I went through"

"Only if you're ready to talk about it," JJ said softly. Iekika nodded slowly.

"Not yet"

"That's fine. I won't push you"

"But there is something I would like to talk about"

"What's that?"

"What's it like? Living with one arm?" Iekika asked, her eyes filling with tears. "I mean, that's why they chose you to talk to me, right?"

JJ hesitated, before nodding slowly. "Yeah"

"I never asked for this to happen"

"Neither did I, Kiki. One minute, I was surfing, and enjoying life, the next, I was lying on the beach, missing an arm, and wondering if I was going to die," JJ said quickly. Iekika sniffed, prompting JJ to hand her a few tissues.

"I'm right handed, I mean-"

"Hey, hey, just calm down for a minute, alright? You need to think of the positives. You still have your arm. I don't. There's absolutely no possibility of me having two arms ever again. Medicine advances every day. You have the possibility of regaining the use of your arm sometime in the future"

"But how do you live with one hand?"

"It can be hard sometimes. Especially at first, during the adjustment period. But you'll eventually learn how to do things with one hand, and you won't have to think about it as much"

"You can surf with one hand. You don't seem to have any problems leading a normal life"

"Actually...I quit"

"Surfing?"

JJ nodded sheepishly.

"Why?" Iekika asked, pulling herself up into a sitting position.

JJ bit her lip in thought. And then, to a girl she'd met five minutes earlier, but who she'd already established a trust with, it all came out. "It got hard. Harder than I thought it was going to be. More difficult than I was used to. I broke my board, which was an expensive Christmas present from my husband, and I almost drowned. I was humiliated, and afraid of getting hurt again"

"Hard isn't an excuse to give up," Iekika scolded gently. JJ looked up, surprised. "I loved watching you surf, when it was broadcasted to TV. Your competitions, I mean. I didn't know what it was about you that drew my attention, but you're a _really_ good surfer. I wouldn't be throwing that away if it was me"

JJ looked away, thoughtful for a moment, before turning back to Iekika. "This is supposed to be about you"

"Nah. You're more interesting," Iekika scoffed. JJ laughed, leaning back in her chair as their conversation ran through her mind.

xxx

During the three days she'd spent with Iekika before the young girl was discharged and sent home, JJ had not been able to stop thinking about what she'd said..

Sprawled across the couch one afternoon, while Will was outside with Morgan, she stared at the ceiling and tried to make sense of all the thoughts running through her mind.

Pulling herself off the couch, she crossed the room to the back door and stepped out into the back garden. Walking down the gentle slope, she approached her husband and colleague.

"Hey. I need your help," she said, addressing them.

"Both of us?" Morgan asked as he turned around. JJ nodded.

"Name it," Will drawled.

"I think I wanna compete," JJ said. The grins that spread across the guys' faces were evident of excitement.

"Are you sure? 'Cause you don' have to," Will said gently. JJ smiled.

"I'll take it heat by heat," she replied. "But we have to figure something out. Some way so the handle doesn't snap"

"Already way ahead of you," Morgan laughed, heading down to the board shed. Reaching inside the door, he pulled out a surfboard that had a cover on it. Pulling the cover off, he revealed a brand new short board, in bright tropical blue and lime green, with a thicker handle rigged on top. Across the back, a little strap joined the two ends of the handle, preventing them from snapping free of the holes they were threaded through.

"Something like this?" Morgan asked. JJ nodded, grinning from ear to ear as she reached forward and took the surfboard from his hands. Once he'd let go, Morgan sprinted back up to the house, leaving the married couple alone.

"Do you like it?" Will asked, stepping up beside her as she looked over the board.

"I love it. But...why would you go and buy another board when I told you I didn't want to do it anymore?"

"Somethin' told me you wouldn't give up. I trusted my gut. And I was right"

Morgan ran to the young boys' bedroom, where the others were helping them build a blanket fort.

"Guys, JJ's going back in the water," he said excitedly. At that, everyone dropped everything and stampeded out of the house.

**A/N: Stay tuned. Next chapter very soon.**

**Please read and review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	38. Fighting Fit

**A/N: Ok, two things. One, yes, I'll have missed three book chapters by the time I'm done with this section, but it's because these chapters are important and very long winded without the book chapters. Also, Nationals came pretty quickly, yes, but some time did pass after Regionals. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

JJ sat on her board, grinning as two others paddled up to her.

"Hey. Remember me?" Zoe asked. JJ laughed, shaking her head.

"No," she teased.

"Oh, that's nice, real nice," Zoe laughed. Bethany came to a stop beside Zoe, pushing up into a sitting position.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you at Regionals," JJ said sheepishly.

"I'm sorry for going all kamikaze on Melissa...wait, no I'm not. That was the best moment of my life," Zoe replied. Bethany and JJ burst out laughing. Zoe grinned, moving a little closer to JJ, and holding out her pinky finger.

"Friends?" she offered. JJ laughed again, hooking her finger around Zoe's. Bethany watched on, laughing as Zoe pulled JJ off her board.

"Hey!" JJ exclaimed as she surfaced again. Bethany moved closer, holding JJ's board steady while she climbed back on.

"Thanks"

"I'm sorry about what I said the other day"

"Trust me, I've been called worse. It's alright. Besides, I _was_ being stupid, wasn't I?" JJ replied. Bethany and Zoe glanced at each other, before nodding. JJ shrugged, lying down on her board, and beginning to paddle out.

"I am a bit like that...a lot of the time," she called over her shoulder, making the other two laugh again.

xxx

JJ pushed down on her board, feeling better than she had since Regionals as the water surrounded her. To her left was Zoe, and behind the two of them, Emily and Bethany.

Pointing the nose of her board up, JJ surfaced again, paddling out to the waves.

"She's definitely got the natural talent to go far," Morgan said as he stood beside Will, watching the girls surfing.

"I watch her surfin' all the time, and it just amazes me. It's like the attack made her more passionate about it," Will replied.

"It did. I don't think we'll ever really know why. That's something only JJ would be able to explain"

xxx

After extending their stay again to coincide with the National competition that JJ had managed to qualify for (despite her blowout at Regionals), JJ began training hard for Nationals.

Training consisted of running, push ups, riding an Indo board, chin ups, sit ups, tow paddling (where Morgan would hold a rope that was tied to JJ's board and she would paddle with his weight behind her), and of course, surfing.

Morgan had been training JJ in pulling a 360 in the air. The day he was convinced she had it, he dragged everyone down to the beach to watch.

JJ dropped into a nice sized wave, turning along the shoulder. A barrel threw out for a short distance. Threading the tube, JJ shot out onto the curve. Drawing out a long turn, she leaned so far forward, the others thought she was going to fall off her board. She proved them wrong by sweeping the turn up to the lip, launching the nose of her board through the curl, and flying up off of the wave. Turning a full 360 degrees, she manoeuvred the nose back into the wave, dropping back down into the shoulder as she headed for the white water.

"Oh my god, that was awesome!" Emily exclaimed amongst the excitement of the others.

"Go, Mommy, go!" Henry yelled from Will's shoulders. JJ turned, having heard her very loud son. Grinning, she waved to him, before lying on the board again and paddling out.

xxx

"Come on Pennsylvania, let's go," Morgan teased. He and JJ were side by side on the wooden platform at the bottom of the back garden, doing push ups.

"Shut up, Morgan," JJ laughed, focusing on keeping her weight balanced over her hand. Will and Emily were watching from the top of the yard, highly amused.

"You gonna do more than me?"

"I'm gonna give you an ass whooping you won't forget," JJ shot back. Morgan laughed as he sank down again.

"Is that how it is? Challenge accepted," he played.

The jabs carried on for a few more minutes until Morgan decided his arms felt like lead. JJ did one more, before standing up and poking Morgan's hip, making the other two laugh.

"I beat you," she hissed, skipping past her colleague slash trainer slash friend. Morgan grinned, following her back up to where their other halves were watching.

"You feel good about Nationals?" Will asked, putting his arm around her. JJ nodded.

"Two weeks away," Emily pondered.

"I'm pumped. Gonna kick some ass," JJ joked, making them laugh.

"The way you're trainin's goin', you're gonna blow them out of the water," Will teased as they walked back inside the house.

"Mama!" Meilani squealed, putting her little arms up as she saw JJ re-entering the house. JJ smiled, reaching down and lifting her little girl from the floor.

"Hi baby girl," she cooed, kissing Meilani's nose. Meilani giggled, resting against her Mommy's shoulder.

xxx

"Welcome to the RipCurl National Surfing Championships! David Stanfield, along with Bo Hodge, and Bo, we have an exciting day today!"

"We've got an excellent day of surfing on hand, we're going to see some of the best women's amateur surfers from around the country today"

"We have a panel of four international judges watching this national championship. High and low scores are thrown out, but what are the judges exactly looking for?"

"Well, Dave, we have 25 minute heats. Each rider is allowed to catch a maximum of 10 waves per heat. The best two waves will be tallied up for the final score, and what the judges are looking for is style, flow, and power and control in radical manoeuvres in the most critical sections of the wave"

"Well, we have surf in the six to eight foot range, it looks like out there..."

As JJ applied the surf wax to the surface of her board, Morgan came up behind her and beckoned for her to come with. Getting up, she left her board and followed Morgan to a less crowded part of the beach. Will gave her a warm smile, and brushed all the sand off of her board as they walked away.

"These girls are tough, especially Melissa, you know that," Morgan said seriously as they came to a stop. JJ nodded. "Now, the surf is big out there today, so if you try to match them wave for wave, you're just going to wear yourself out with all that paddling"

"Yeah," JJ said softly.

"So don't take just any wave that comes along. The greatest surfers, they all have this sixth sense. They know when the best waves are coming. They can feel it. It's a gift. You have that gift too," Morgan praised warmly. He couldn't help but feel extremely proud of his colleague who was like his little sister. She definitely had a gift.

"I do?" JJ asked, surprised. Morgan grinned.

"Well, Will was talking to me the other day, and he is right. You are quite the mermaid," he teased. JJ grinned, blushing a little.

"You know that moment, between the sets when it's quiet, and the waves haven't even formed yet, it's just energy surging through the water?"

JJ nodded, her brow furrowed in thought.

"Well that's the time to be patient. Listen to your instinct. Trust it"

JJ looked up at Morgan, the bright blue waves reflected in her eyes.

"You'll know"

Putting his arms around her, he pulled her into a warm hug. "Go get 'em"

"Melissa! Melissa, right here!" reporters called as Melissa stood in a throng of cameras.

"Over the past few months, Melissa Grey has dominated every heat she's surfed, winning three contests in a row. No one has come close, she's by far the person to beat today"

JJ walked up towards the group of reporters, Zoe at her side. People immediately turned around, snapping photos of the two.

"Don't worry. I heard a little rumour that RipCurl's lining up new sponsor material, so they want shots of their best prospects," Zoe said warmly. JJ raised her eyebrows.

"If they want to sponsor me to drown, they'll make plenty of money," she said sarcastically. Zoe shook her head, fighting back a grin.

"Keep saying that and you'll go nowhere. Have a little faith. I'm gonna go get the rash guards"

Melissa crossed over to JJ, putting on a wide smile and putting her arm around JJ. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, I'm surfing, same as you," JJ half laughed. Melissa cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, I hope you don't need to be rescued again"

"Actually, Melissa, I wanted to thank you"

Melissa looked completely surprised. "For what?"

"Just for never taking it easy on me. It means a lot," JJ said simply as Zoe approached them.

"You ready?" she asked. JJ nodded, following her back down to the beach, blue rash guard in hand.

**A/N: Go next!**

**Please read and review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	39. RipCurl National Surfing Championships

**A/N: Quite detailed, but it was taken from the movie. Hope you enjoy. Next chapter coming shortly.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM or the scene depicted here. I just changed it up a bit to fit with my story.**

"Jennifer Jareau's appearance here is truly a remarkable comeback. Against all odds, she has earned her spot in the National competition. Everyone in attendance is hopeful that JJ has a great contest. But at the highest level of competition, there are no free rides. We begin with our first round of competition"

JJ stood alongside Zoe on the beach, anxiously awaiting the start. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she listened as the starter horn sounded.

"And there's the horn. The first heat is underway"

As the day and the competition progressed, surfers became more aggressive competitors, battling it out for those precious spots in the final heat.

With 10:31 minutes left on the clock, JJ got a fast riding wave, and pulled an excellent contest from that one, with carves, that put her in fifth place. Melissa managed to bag first throughout the entire heat.

Zoe carved, her arms up in the air as she balanced out her drop back into the shoulder. Shortly after, two surfers almost collided when they dropped into the same wave.

JJ dropped into a nice wave, bringing Will, Jackson, and the team to their feet to cheer her on. Snapping sharply, she threw her arm out to the side to counteract the fact that she was permanently off balance, and executed a perfect manoeuvre.

On another wave, she drew out such a long turn, Will thought she was going to tip forward and fall off her board. But she proved him wrong by launching the nose of her board vertically through the lip, sending her into a vertical snap.

As the horn went for the final heat, the announcers brought the crowd up to speed. "Advancing into the finals by two tenths of a point, the big story is Jennifer Jareau. She was looking for a 7.2 on her last wave and scored a 7.4. She'll be wearing blue out in the lineup, with her good friend, wearing pink, Zoe Madson. And their competitors, black, Melissa Grey. Yellow, Jenna Pocock. White, Sophia Hunt, and in orange, Denise Thomas. And the judges are looking for some progressive surfing today"

"That's right, Dave. They'll have a 25 minute heat, be scored on 10 waves, but they'll keep their best two waves for the final score, on the zero to ten point range"

The horn blew signalling, the beginning of the final heat. "And there's the horn, and the heat is underway"

JJ paddled strongly, turning her head as she went over a wave to avoid getting a face full of water. Duck diving smoothly under a broken wave, she made her way out to the line up.

"There's Sophia Hunt. She scores two vertical turns...and the judges give her a 6.75, and what a great start to this heat"

Zoe pushed her way into a nice set wave.

"Zoe Madson picking up a set wave...works her way down the line...snaps a big turn off the top...comes around her competitor with an aggressive re-entry. And pink cracks the lip one more time"

"Great run, Zoe!" yelled Paul.

"Situation. With fifteen minutes remaining in the heat, surfer in orange, Denise Thomas, you have a 5.4. Surfer in white, Sophia Hunt, you have a 6.75. Surfer in pink, Zoe Madson, you are in first place with a 7.0"

"Way to go, Zo!" Paul yelled. He was stood with the team, eagerly encouraging both JJ and Zoe where necessary.

JJ dropped into a breaking wave, setting herself up for a turn. As she leaned back to turn into the shoulder, her board lost the balance, and she lost her footing, sending her plunging under the white foam as it crashed over her.

"Bo, Jareau goes down hard in the impact zone, and she is struggling"

JJ surfaced, gasping for air as she found her board and climbed back on it.

"It's ok! You'll get another one!" Morgan yelled.

"Stay in there, stay in there, JJ," Will pleaded.

"Take a look at this, we've got four competitors scratching for this wave...and surfer in black takes control of the peak!"

JJ paddled towards the unbroken part of the wave where Melissa was turning.

"Grey on the nice takeoff"

JJ closed her eyes as Melissa's board sent a heavy spray into her face.

"She sprays JJ!...Great off the top! Grey snaps under the lip. Banks it off the white water one more time"

"Man, she is on fire today," Emily muttered, shaking her head.

"One away. Melissa Grey has scored a 9.25 according to the judges, and that is a high score. Now, she is in the lead, Madson in second, Hunt in third, Jenna Pocock in fourth, Jennifer Jareau is in fifth, and in sixth right now is Thomas"

JJ glided along the shoulder, pulling a strong vertical snap as Denise and Jenna passed over the top of the wave. At the topmost point of the turn, she was leaning right down, her arm submerged in the water. Turning down, she wanted to swear as she landed on top of the broken wave, stalling her ride.

"Jareau with a stall...and goes over the falls!"

JJ slid off her board into the churning barrels of waves and backwash waves, sinking below the blue water.

"Is she going to be all right?" Spencer asked Will and Morgan.

"It's okay. Everybody gets caught every once in a while. She can handle it," Morgan replied determinedly.

JJ was more determined than ever as she paddled back out to the line up, glancing back over her shoulder at the clock every now and then.

"Precious time on the clock right now, Dave, and it looks like Zoe is paddling into a big wave on the outside"

Zoe bent her knees to make the turn, but lost her footing on the board, and fell off at top speed, slamming into the water.

"Ooh! And Zoe Madson takes a spill there, too"

Melissa dropped into a nice wave, strength etched in her expression. "Ladies and gentleman, Melissa Grey is up and riding again. This girl's a wave magnet today, Bo! She is certainly in rhythm with the ocean. Way above the pack here in today's competition"

"Melissa Grey has just scored a 9.5 on her last wave. That is the highest wave of the contest"

"She's going to need two nine plus waves to even come close to catching Melissa," Will said a little anxiously. Emily turned around, looking at the clock.

"She's got less than five minutes"

"With time winding down and no waves on the horizon, our surfers are anxious to get a final score. Look for the girls to scramble any solid wave before the hooter blows"

JJ suddenly noticed a nice wave forming on the outside, and determined to get it, lay down on her board and began paddling, knowing Melissa would follow. Sure enough, she did.

"Check this out, ladies and gentleman. There's some energy out the back, looks like the girls have spotted something on the horizon," the commentator announced.

"Paddle JJ. Paddle hard," Will said softly to himself, his hands clasped tightly under his chin.

JJ exhaled heavily, grunting slightly as she put all her energy into beating out Melissa to the wave.

"Bo, take a look at this! Grey and Jareau, paddle battle out the back!"

"And Jareau really needs to beat her to the inside if she's got a chance here today," Bo replied.

"Come on JJ, stay ahead of her!" Morgan yelled encouragingly. Out in the water, JJ grunted with every swipe through the water, determined to get the wave whether she passed out from exhaustion or not.

"Don't let up! You got her!" Hotch yelled, surprising the others.

"Unbelievable Bo. All Melissa's gotta do is block Jennifer Jareau from getting to the inside and she's got this contest in the bag!"

JJ pushed down strongly on the handle of her board, duck diving under an oncoming wave simultaneously with Melissa.

"Paddle hard!" Morgan yelled along with the crowd, who were cheering ecstatically.

JJ ripped her hand through the water, ignoring the protest her muscles were screaming. Watching Melissa out of the corner of her eye, she made sure to keep the nose of her board aligned with her competitor's.

"Grey is still blocking Jareau from the inside! I don't know how she's going to catch this wave, Bo"

JJ turned to look at Melissa at the same time that Melissa turned to look at her. Focusing completely on the wave, she set her eyes on the approaching oblong shape, and focused on following Morgan's advice

'_Just dive into the water and rip that paddle back!...Don't give up, show them what you're made of'_

"Paddle!" Hotch was now yelling along with the others.

"Dave, we've got a paddle battle to the outside. It's Grey. It's Jareau. She's got her on the ropes. Can JJ catch the wave? This is her last chance"

JJ saw no other option as the wave approached quickly. Getting her balance, she pushed down on the handle as Melissa ripped her left paddle back. Diving straight down, she glided underneath Melissa's board, cautious of the fins, turned to face back towards the beach, and kicked up towards the surface.

Melissa turned back to see where JJ had gone, and stopped in shock when she realised the blonde was nowhere to be seen.

JJ surfaced right in the middle of the wave, placed her hand flat on the board and pushed up to her feet. The cheer that broke out from the beach was incredible as JJ glided down the shoulder.

Melissa sat on her board, panting her exhaustion, watching in disbelief as JJ surfed one of the best waves of the day.

JJ turned back towards her right shoulder, snapping the unbroken lip of the wave.

"She's got the wave, Dave! This is the one she's been waiting for all contest long!"

"Absolutely unbelievable! Jennifer Jareau duck dives under Melissa Grey, while Grey is still out there looking for another ride"

JJ snapped again, and again, before riding towards the breaking lip, and sliding up so she was surfing the very top for a second, before carving over the top back into the still water.

"Sick one, JJ!" Zoe screamed, waving her arms around madly.

"That was an unbelievable ride by Jennifer Jareau...the judges give her a 9.7!"

The crowd went wild as the score was read off.

"It's the highest score of the heat!" Emily said excitedly, hugging Morgan tightly.

Spencer high fived Paul, thrilled with JJ's effort, when Hotch's comment interrupted them.

"But she's still in fifth," he called.

"All right guys, she needs one more, one more," Rossi said enthusiastically, making Emily giggle.

As the 2 minute mark passed, JJ reached the line up and pushed herself back into a sitting position. Looking out across the horizon, she took a deep breath and reminded herself to be patient. Her gut feeling was getting stronger with each passing second.

Acting on a whim, JJ made her decision. Turning her board, she lay down, and began to pick up a steady pace as she paddled past the others, out to the back of the zone.

"Jennifer Jareau is paddling outside the lineup. What does she see?"

"I don't know, Dave, but no-one's been paddling out in that area all during the contest"

"Why is she so far out?" Emily asked, confused.

"What, is she giving up?" Morgan chipped in, turning to where Will and Hotch were standing.

"I don't know," Hotch said softly, watching JJ's distant figure.

"She feels somethin'," Will said knowingly, feeling hope and pride swelling inside him.

They watched as JJ paddled towards the sun, the bright glow reflecting off of the surface of the water.

"What are you doing?" Zoe yelled, paddling a few metres towards JJ's silhouette.

"Dave, there's only one minute remaining on the clock. It is dead flat. The contest may be already over!"

JJ slowed to a stop, pushing herself up so she was straddling her board. She looked expectantly out at the horizon.

"Why is she stopping?" Spencer asked.

"There's nothing out there," Hotch said quietly.

"Not yet," Will replied defiantly.

"Only 45 seconds on the clock, and no set waves on the horizon. This contest may be over, Bo"

JJ kept her eyes on the horizon, skimming her hand gently over the surface of the water.

"We are counting down to end this final. Just 30 seconds left on the clock"

JJ felt a sudden flash of hope, and a smile broke onto her face as a large wave formed within her reach, perfect in shape and size.

"Big bomb on the outside," Morgan announced to the group. Spencer had his hand over his mouth in shock as he watched his blonde colleague paddle towards the oblong bump.

"Fifteen seconds remaining!"

"Everybody else is too far inside," Paul pointed out to them.

"The Rip Curl Nationals! 10 seconds to go! And there is Jennifer Jareau, with an amazing wave out the back! Will this be enough?"

As the timer leant out against the pole of the judges booth, the horn in his hand, JJ turned her board back towards the beach, setting up a strong paddle and kick as she prepared to take the drop.

"She is paddling, and here comes the wave!"

Melissa watched in defeat as JJ pushed up, getting her footing as the siren blew.

"She's taken the drop!"

Everyone on the beach began to cheer as the determined blonde moved swiftly down to the shoulder. JJ leaned forward, turning so she was taking a path along the wave. Rotating her shoulders, she showed off a strong carve under the lip, before setting back towards the curl.

The watching crowd watched in amazement as the massive wave began to break in a smooth barrel over JJ's head.

As the beautiful blue water curled around her, JJ skimmed her fingers through the water, leaving a trail in her wake. When the barrel began to break on her other side, she had a sudden recollection of her memories from long ago.

In the moment when she'd almost died, when the surgeon had shocked her with the paddles, JJ had surfed through an incredible barrel, and had turned away from the 'white light'.

That was what she'd seen.

As she got towards the end of the barrel, she couldn't but smile as she knelt down, and gripped the side of her board with her hand, pulling it up slightly.

The crowd screamed and cheered as she shot out of the end of the barrel, turning up towards the top of the wave. Letting go of the board, and standing up again, she turned down towards the shoulder. Punching the air with her fist, she turned back to the lip, and shot over the top, leaping off of her board and falling into the water as the wave passed through.

"An amazing barrel for Jennifer Jareau! Perfect positioning-"

"Was she up before the horn?" Emily yelled over the noise.

"They have to count it!" Paul said excitedly.

Emily threw her arms around Morgan's neck, before turning and hugging Will, who was beside himself with excitement.

"Way to go, JJ!" Zoe cried, clapping from where she was sat.

"Yeah!" JJ called back, filled with excitement as she lay back on her board and began paddling into the beach. Melissa sighed with defeat, and paddled back towards the beach.

As JJ reached the point where she could stand up, she pulled her board up under her arm after removing the leash, and ran out of the water towards her supporters, who were running towards her. Looking more excited than ever, she dropped her board on the sand and ran towards Will, throwing her arm around his neck and kissing him.

"I'm so proud o' you, cher!" Will said ecstatically, letting her go. JJ turned to hug Morgan and was enveloped by the entire team. As they pulled away from each other, the commentator stood up.

"Unbelievable...!"

**A/N: Hmm, what's going to be the verdict? It might be different from Soul Surfer.**

**Please review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	40. Proud Champion

**A/N: Ready for the verdict?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

"...Jennifer Jareau's amazing wave at the end there counts by barely a second! Unfortunately, she's missed out on first place by a tenth of a point-"

"You're joking!" Hotch exclaimed, making the others laugh. JJ exhaled heavily, but she was smiling. Brushing her wet hair away from her face, she looked over towards Melissa.

"-which means Melissa Grey, you are the new national champion!"

"Yes! Yes!" Melissa exclaimed happily, jumping up and down with excitement. JJ turned away from where Melissa was, walking over to where Will was standing facing out to sea.

"Hey. You ok?" she asked, moving around in front of him.

"Very. Are you?" he asked, smiling at her. JJ half laughed, nodding.

"Yeah...I'm definitely ok," she said happily. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Will smiled at his wife, taking her hand in his. "You're supposed to enjoy it. All of it. For the rest of your life"

JJ smiled, putting her arm around his neck and giving him a deep, but chaste kiss. Putting his arm around her, Will lifted her surfboard under his other arm and walked with her off the beach to where the results would be announced.

"In third place, Zoe Madson!" the announcer called. The crowd clapped and cheered as Zoe was given her trophy.

"Yeah, Zoe!" Paul yelled, making her laugh.

"In second place, Jennifer Jareau!"

Morgan and Will wolf whistled at the same time, making both Zoe and JJ laugh. JJ took her trophy, looking it over quickly. It was a lot fancier than her other trophies.

"And in first place, as our new national champion, Melissa Grey!"

Melissa was handed a huge trophy as her supporters went crazy. She punched her fist into the air, a huge smile on her face.

"Hey. Hey, Melissa," JJ said, catching her competitor's attention. Melissa turned, a small smile on her face.

"Good job. You were a tough opponent," JJ said warmly. Melissa broke into a grin.

"JJ...no-one is as tough as you," she replied. "Come on, get up here"

JJ stepped up beside Melissa, wondering what she was about to do.

"I'd like to share this win with Jennifer Jareau, because the judges may have only given her a 9.5 on that last wave...but I would've given it a 10. JJ?" Melissa said warmly, offering JJ the trophy. Together, they lifted it into the air as again, the crowd went crazy. JJ managed to keep a grip on both her trophy and one side of Melissa's at the same time. The smile on her face couldn't have been brighter. She may have only come second...but to Melissa, to Zoe, to Will and the team...she'd won. She'd pulled herself past the setbacks, and stood on the podium, proud to have gotten second.

xxx

As they walked back towards the carpark, JJ's trophy clutched tightly in her hand, they were swarmed by a bunch of RipCurl executives and reporters with cameras.

"Hi JJ, hey Zoe," one of the RipCurl guys said. The girls smiled at him, wondering what exactly he wanted.

"Look, we understand you're probably exhausted, but we just want to ask you something. How would you feel if we sponsored both of you?" he asked. JJ and Zoe looked at each other in surprise, before jumping around excitedly and throwing their arms around each other. The group laughed.

"I'll take that as a yes," the RipCurl guy laughed, watching his two newest surfers gushing over their new deal.

xxx

As they sat on the beach that night, under the stars, with some bamboo oil lamps in the sand, Morgan got up.

"JJ, we nearly lost you two years ago. And you completely blew us all away today with the level of surfing you showed. I'm pretty sure I don't have to tell you this twice, but we're all extremely proud of you," he said warmly. JJ blushed, but smiled all the same.

"Here's to JJ," Spencer and Garcia chipped in. They all raised their drinks.

"To JJ," they said in unison. JJ smiled, leaning back against Will's chest, his arms around her. She stayed there for most of the evening; the competition had completely drained her.

"So, how are you feeling?" Hotch asked, shuffling across next to the married couple. The others were either in heated conversation, or in Emily and Morgan's case, chasing each other up and down the stretch of beach.

"Pretty damn tired. Sore as well. Did you know that hitting water is like hitting frickin' concrete?" JJ exclaimed, making Hotch and Will laugh. "No, I'm serious. That first fall I took, my back is killing me. The second one was a little less painful, but that still hurt my hip"

"Well, nonetheless, you were amazing out there today, JJ," Hotch praised. "But I have just one question"

"What's that?"

"Well...if you keep up the surfing, you're eventually going to reach a level where juggling work, surfing, and training will be too hard"

JJ sighed. "I know...I've actually been thinking about that. And I have to admit I'm torn between the two"

"It's crossed my mind too," Will added. Hotch grinned.

"Come on, JJ, you've got a choice between professional surfing; free stuff, a fun lifestyle, or looking at dead mangled bodies, serial rapists and psychos"

JJ and Will burst out laughing. "Well, when you put it that way...," JJ joked. Hotch grinned, resting back on his arms as he watched his team running riot on the beach.

xxx

Will held JJ close to him as they stood under the stream of hot water. She was absolutely exhausted. Her stamina was excellent, but a whole day of surfing and battling it out with Melissa had completely wiped her out.

"You're gonna sleep a solid ten hours at this rate, cher," he teased lightly. JJ sighed, lifting her face to look at him.

"I reckon I could do 12...easy," she shot back. Will chuckled, pecking her lips lightly before she rested her forehead against his collarbone. Lifting her face just a little, she began to gently kiss the curve of his neck, making him moan.

A loud knock on the door made them both jump.

"Hey! If you two are gonna get frisky, could you wait until you're in bed? The rest of us need to shower!" Emily called through the door. Will looked at JJ before they both started laughing.

"Do you wanna keep 'em waitin' just a lil' longer?" he whispered. JJ, exhausted, but compliant, grinned and nodded, stretching up and kissing Will deeply. Will chuckled, lifting her up and pinning her against the wall, his hand moving to her center as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Outside, JJ's giggling, and the muffled thumps and moans that could be heard from inside the bathroom gave away exactly what they were doing.

"Hey, Henry, Jack, wanna go for a walk?" Spencer said quickly. The boys nodded, knowing a walk would mean a later bedtime, following Uncle Spence out the back door and down to the beach.

"I'm going outside," Hotch said, grabbing his laptop and heading out the back. Penelope, Rossi, Emily, and Morgan remained, giggling or laughing at what could be heard.

xxx

Will came into the kitchen the following morning to find Hotch, Jack, Spencer, and Emily already up.

"Mornin'," he said jovially. Grabbing a piece of toast from the prepared stack on the bench, he joined the others.

"Jayje still asleep?" Emily asked, taking a bite of her toast.

"Yep. Woman sleeps like barbed wire. I had to literally untangle myself from her," Will replied. Emily, Hotch, and Spencer laughed.

"I bet she's absolutely beat from yesterday," Emily said.

"Yeah. But it was worth it. She's really happy. Proud of herself too. Which I don' have a problem with, she's got a darn good reason to be," Will reasoned. Emily nodded knowingly, before turning to Jack, who was tapping her repeatedly on the shoulder.

Getting up, Will wandered to the kids' room, finding Henry and Meilani still asleep. Crossing the hall, he re-entered his and JJ's bedroom, just in time for JJ's eyes to flutter open.

"Hey. How's our champion?" he asked softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. JJ rubbed her eyes, smiling at her husband.

"Well rested and ready to kick ass," she replied just as softly, making Will chuckle.

"I have no doubts about that," he said gently, leaning down and kissing her forehead. JJ pushed herself up, reaching across to the bedside table and grabbing the showy trophy. Running her thumb over the smooth gold statue posed on top, she couldn't help the sense of pride she felt. Sure, it was second...but she'd put up a heck of a fight for it.

xxx

_**Beliefs & Changes**_

_My life has changed drastically. There's no doubt about that. I say it over and over, and over, but there is a big difference between one and two arms; and it's not just the missing arm._

_Before my attack, I was never a diehard surfer. Sure, I turned to it for solace after my sister died, but when I got my job in the BAU, which I'll talk about later, I lost the time I used to have. Surfing became a vacation only activity, and that's if I was travelling to the coast. When we went to Hawaii in July 2011, I hadn't surfed for quite a while; probably three or four years since I'd even held a surfboard._

_But for me, surfing is like riding a bike. I can't forget. So when I caught my first wave in a long time, it came naturally, and suddenly, four years didn't feel like such a long time after all._

_I never expected that being attacked by a shark would have the impact on me that it did. After the attack, I was obviously very closed off about my feelings; if I was a door, it would've taken the Jaws of Life to open me up at that point in time. At the same time, I was feeling more and more confident about my silent decision to get back on my board. Knowing that surfing had helped through a rough time before, I knew if I could manage it with one arm, maybe I would be able to get through it without feeling like I was drowning in despair._

_I can't really explain my newfound passion that drives me to be the competitive surfer I am today. It's a feeling that I just can't put into words. Maybe it's because I believe in God, more than I ever did before, and I believe that if I almost lost my life doing something, it's a message. Some people think I'm nuts, that if I almost die doing something, I should give whatever it is a wide berth. But to me, it just feels...right._

_Some kind people have also told me I'm nuts if I ever mention that God pulled me through. Sure, my team and my family did a lot to support me, but there were some times when I needed someone much bigger than myself to pull me through._

_So, yeah, I can sound like a total nutcase. Sometimes. That's what Will tells me anyway. I don't tend to talk about my belief in God very much, even now. I'll share my story, my faith, and my life when I'm good and ready and given the right chances, just like I am now. But in a normal conversation, I don't talk about it. Because I know, that as long as these feelings and beliefs are in my heart, I have nothing to worry about._

**A/N: Next chapter ETA...I have no clue. BTW, I think...I think we're nearing the end of the first instalment...**

**Please review! The chapter's not going to review itself!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	41. Lost Souls

**A/N: This chapter might seem a bit OOC towards the end, but bear with me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Morgan opened the front door of the beach house, lugging two more suitcases out to the truck. They were reluctantly headed back home, but they all knew that they would be back, given time.

"Hello boys," Morgan said as he approached the truck. Henry and Jack were both standing in the tray, pretending to be truckies by loading some of the lighter bags.

"Hi Uncle Derek," Jack giggled. Henry's hat chose that moment to slip over his eyes, making him giggle hysterically as he pushed it back up.

"Why don't you two help Uncle Dave load these?" Morgan suggested. The boys nodded ecstatically, jumping down off the tray and running over to Dave, who was headed for the suitcases Morgan had left on the ground.

As he headed back up to the house, Morgan noticed a large rectangular box sitting on the porch. "Hey Rossi. What's this?"

"That's been there for about 20 minutes. I signed for it. It's for JJ," Rossi called back. Morgan picked it up, looking at the postage sticker and grinning. Lifting it up, he tucked it under his arm and manoeuvred it through the front door.

"JJ!" he yelled.

"Yeah?" came her muffled reply from somewhere down the other end of the house.

"Come here!"

JJ came out into the main room, followed by Will. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to the box under his arm. By now, it had also attracted the attention of everyone else inside the house.

"Going home present from RipCurl," Morgan laughed. JJ looked at him in surprise. Morgan lay it on the floor, and helped her to rip away the cardboard.

"Oh my god, this is so cool!" she gushed, like a child, making them laugh. Inside were two brand new surfboards, with handles attached. One board was bright pink and orange, the other one was red, white, and blue. Both were adorning the RipCurl logo.

"Awesome," JJ laughed, lifting one out of the packaging. Emily took it from her as she lifted the other one out.

"These are some nice rides, Pennsylvania," Morgan said, coming up behind Emily and wrapping his arms around her waist as he took in the boards. JJ grinned, standing up with the red, white, and blue board at her side.

"I can't wait to use one"

"If we pack fast, we might get half an hour in before we have to get ready to leave for the airport"

"Sounds like a plan"

xxx

After unpacking, fielding phone calls from JJ's parents, Bethany, Alana, and Daniel, all congratulating her on Nationals, ordering takeaway, and tucking the kids into bed, JJ and Will both collapsed back on the sofa in the front lounge room.

"What a day," JJ sighed, running her hand through her hair. Will turned to JJ, taking her hand in his.

"We've been so busy lately, cher. I haven' been able to spend time makin' you feel loved," he said sweetly.

"Well, that's partly my fault, what with all the competitions, and training, and-"

Will cut her off by pressing a deep, passionate kiss to her lips. When he pulled away, JJ was smiling softly.

"I wanna spend some real quality time with you," he said gently, cupping JJ's cheek in his hand. JJ leaned into his touch, looking right into his eyes.

"I'd like that"

xxx

Quality time came in many different forms. Chinese takeout and movies, a day trip to a surf beach, quiet afternoons in the backyard, and a fancy restaurant.

JJ exited the bedroom, finding Will in the lounge room, dressed in a nice shirt and trousers. When he caught sight of her, he wolf whistled.

"Very nice," he complimented. JJ herself was wearing a light tropical blue strapless cocktail dress that stopped mid thigh. Smiling seductively, she stepped up and kissed him.

"Not so bad yourself," she said softly.

After reminding Sophie, their babysitter, where everything she would need was, they kissed the kids goodnight, and left for a night of fun.

xxx

Will had his arm around JJ's waist as they walked down one of the brightly lit streets in DC, passing shopfronts and convenience markets. The silence between them was a comfortable one as they turned at the end of the road and approached a large park. Crossing the soft grass, Will pulled JJ to a bench that overlooked a large duck pond. There was another young couple on the other side, sitting together with their hands tightly clasped.

"I had fun tonight, cher, what about you?" Will said softly, giving JJ a warm smile.

"It was great," JJ whispered, pecking his lips. Will put his arm around her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. They sat in silence for a few minutes before JJ spoke softly.

"I really don't want to ruin tonight for you...but there's something I need to tell you, and I can't let it nag at me any longer," JJ admitted. Will frowned as he turned to look at her.

"How long has it been naggin' you?" he asked gently.

"Just over two years. I would wait to tell you...but I can't. It's too much to keep to myself any longer," JJ said, barely above a whisper. Will shifted so his body was facing her, and tipped her chin up with his index finger.

"Cher?"

JJ took a deep breath, willing herself to stay calm as she began to speak. "...When I was attacked...I hadn't actually told you, but...I was two months pregnant..."

Will's expression fell, and sadness slowly filled his eyes as he realised what JJ was going to say.

"...but the amount of blood I lost...it was too much for the baby...the baby died," JJ said softly, tears falling over her lashes and spilling down her cheeks. Will ran a hand through his hair, sitting back against the seat as he took in what she had said. They had had another child before Meilani...a lost child.

"I'm sorry-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said, his voice calm, but JJ could detect the anger and despair in his voice. She was a profiler, after all.

"I-"

"You know what? Don' even bother," Will said, getting up and beginning to walk away. JJ quickly followed, reaching out and grabbing his arm. "Will"

Will whirled around. JJ's heart wrenched to see that his eyes were filled with tears.

"Do you not trust me or somethin'?" he asked, his voice thick with tears.

"Will, please, just let me explain-"

"What do you want me to say?" Will said in defeat, throwing his hands up. When JJ remained silent, he turned round, and continued walking back to the car.

The car ride home was quiet, the only sound being Will trying to fight back his tears; tears of grief, anger, and frustration. JJ rested her head against the window, silent tears spilling down her cheeks. She hated herself for ruining their night, and for causing Will pain.

Upon arriving home, Will walked straight past a bewildered Sophie and went straight to their bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. JJ hastily wiped away her tears before turning to Sophie.

"Sorry about that. Here...," she said quickly, opening her purse and handing Sophie some money.

"JJ, is everything alright?" Sophie asked gently.

"It'll be fine. Thanks for looking after the kids," JJ said thickly. Sophie gave her a small smile.

"I'm happy to watch them anytime. They were absolute angels," she replied. "I hope everything is ok"

"It will be," JJ said softly. Sophie hesitated, before nodding slowly and heading for the door. JJ watched as she walked to her car, and then closed the door, locking it behind her.

Leaving her purse on the hall table, she wandered through to the kids' bedrooms, kissing their foreheads and pulling their rumpled covers up. Exiting Henry's room, she slowly approached the door to the master bedroom, and gently knocked.

"Will...Will, can you open the door?" she called. When no movement or sound was heard on the other side, JJ didn't even bother trying again. Going to the laundry, she grabbed the pyjamas she'd thrown in there that morning, and changed into them, leaving her dress on top of the washing machine. Walking back down the hallway, she entered the front lounge room and huddled up on the couch, staring unblinkingly at the TV. She was furious with herself for upsetting Will, especially when they'd been having so much fun. Why couldn't she have kept her big mouth shut...

xxx

"So, what competition did you surf?" Jackson asked, his voice filling the room as JJ sat at the table with him on loudspeaker. After barely speaking to each other all morning, Will had left jj with Meilani, and taken Henry over to Hotch's to play with Jack.

"The NSSA Explorer Season Nationals"

"NSSA?"

"National Scholastic Surfing Championships, the highest level of competition for amateur surfers. It's focused on people under the age of 18, but there are divisions for older age groups"

"Like yourself. How old was your age group? 40?" Jackson teased. JJ laughed.

"Very funny"

"Anyway, that's great. So, what's your aim from here?"

"Win more competitions, work my way up to the ASP"

"Which is?"

"Association of Professional Surfing"

"Sounds heavy"

"It is"

"If you're really serious about this...you'd have to quit your job at the FBI, wouldn't you?"

JJ took a deep breath, running her hand through her hair. "Yeah. Surfing's become so important to me, after the attack. It's like a fresh start"

"So are you going to quit the BAU?"

JJ remained silent for a minute, before taking a deep breath.

"...Yeah"

xxx

**_Image_**

_I'd always been comfortable in my own skin. Comfortable as in, if I went for a run, I was happy to wear bike shorts and a sports crop top. I was happy to lie on the beach in an admittedly tiny bikini. The only times that were exceptions were when I was pregnant, and when I was trying to lose the baby weight after having Henry._

_Will had always fuelled that. He practically made it a rule for himself that every morning he would tell me I was beautiful. The only time I ever shot him down for it was the time I was huddled over the toilet bowl, hurling my guts out because I had a stomach virus. I pretty much told him to get lost then, because I knew I looked like hell._

_After the attack, when I was in the hospital, I also looked like hell. There's a photo that Will took, the day after the attack, when Henry was sitting in my lap. I'm almost as white as the hospital sheets, and I looked exhausted. He told me that day I was beautiful as well. I wanted to thump him, but I didn't even have the energy to lift my arm._

_Self consciousness quickly showed itself upon my leaving the hospital. I wore tank tops while I still had the bandage on my arm, but as soon as it came off, I was in T-shirts. My stump was swollen, bruised, and of course, had that long, ugly red scar running across it. Whenever we went down to the beach, I would still wear bikinis, but I would always throw one of Will's old shirts over the top. Not to hide the fact that I only had one arm (there's no hiding that, trust me), but to hide the fact that it was so swollen. I'm not even exaggerating; it looked pretty bad when I had the bandage taken off. It looks so much better now._

_When I went dress shopping for my wedding, I completely broke down while trying on the dress I would later choose. I was convinced that I wouldn't be able to look gorgeous on my wedding day. Emily talked me out of that funk pretty darn quickly._

_These days, it doesn't bother me so much. I will, again, happily lie on a beach (or more likely, go surfing) in a bikini. I think it's because Will's always being a total perv and asking me what bikini I'll be wearing today. I don't mind; he's only teasing._

_When I was offered a prosthetic arm, which hangs, untouched, in my wardrobe, I tried it on, but immediately hated it. It was useless. I took it off, pushed it away quite angrily, and stormed back into the house, followed by Will. I admitted to him that all I'd wanted from it was to look normal. He told me that I was beautiful whether I had two arms or no arms, and that I shouldn't worry so much about how I looked because normal is so overrated. I think he talked some sense into me._

_Besides, if I was to live my whole life in a sulk over how I looked, life would be pretty miserable. I'm happy to push it all aside, and worry about the things I love; Will, Henry, Meilani, my team, surfing, my job...the list could go on forever. So there's no time to worry about my body image._

_Whatever. I'm cool being me._

**A/N: I know it seems like Will overreacted to JJ's admission, but just trust me, ok?**

**Please leave a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	42. Inflammation

**A/N: No chapter this chapter, I need to work on it a little more.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

A few days passed. Will and JJ were civil to each other, but the issue remained. They only spoke if they had to, but it was forced and tense, even somewhat hostile.

"Will, did you-" JJ began, stopping when he walked straight past her, heading for the study. Slamming the letter she'd had in her hand on the coffee table, she quickly followed him to the study, locking the door behind her as she entered, and leaning against it.

"What are you doin'?" Will asked, turning around.

"We need to talk about this, Will, we can't keep avoiding it forever," JJ replied. Will sighed, turning back to his laptop.

"Just drop it, Jayje, ok?" he said softly, logging in.

"I want to make this right, Will-"

"Right? Make it right? JJ, you kept the fact that we lost a child from me for nearly two years! And now you wanna make it right?" Will exclaimed angrily, standing up and moving towards her.

"I know this is hard on you-"

"JJ, you have absolutely no idea, do you? I went two years, not knowin' that we had lost a baby, and then you decide to tell me! I feel like you can't trust me for some reason, because you kept it from me!"

"I can trust you-"

"Really, JJ-"

"Stop cutting me off!" JJ snapped. Will looked shocked at her sudden outburst, and then took a step back. JJ looked down for a minute, and when she looked up again, her eyes were filled with tears.

"I had my reasons to keep it from you. You were so happy that I had survived the attack, and at the same time, so worried about me, I couldn't add this to your burden as well. And after I came home, you were thrilled that I was going to be ok. Then everything just started happening. I was surfing again, and then we found out about Meilani, then we got engaged...there was never a right time to tell you. I eventually came to the conclusion that there was never really going to be a right time, so that's why I sprung it on you like that, and I'm so sorry that I did that," she said tearfully.

"The fact that you waited this long to tell me...it makes me feel as though you can' trust me...we're married JJ, we're supposed to be able to trust each other with anythin'...and it makes it that much harder for me," Will said, his tone much softer.

"I understand where you're coming from, Will, I really do. And I know this is hard on you, but you're forgetting one crucial thing," JJ replied, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What?"

"While all you had to worry about was whether I was going to be ok, I had to cope with the fact that I'd lost my arm _and_ a child. And I chose to suffer in silence, and it _killed_ me, Will, it was so painful to keep from you, but I felt like I had to, for your sake"

Will took a deep breath, closing his eyes and running a hand through his hair. In all his anger, he'd never put two and two together...that JJ had lost two parts of her. And while she had been in physical and emotional pain, all she'd wanted to do was protect him. "That never even crossed my mind," he admitted. JJ took a tentative step forward, placing her hand on his arm.

"I really am sorry. I wish I'd told you earlier...I understand if you're upset," she said gently. Will hesitated, before taking her hand in his.

"My only thing is that I wish you'd told me when it happened, instead of keepin' it to yourself for two years. I would've been upset, yeah, but we could've worked through that as well," he said gently.

"Will, our relationship was hanging by a thread after the attack. I don't think this would've helped"

"Either way, I'm a lil' hurt...but with time, I guess we'll work through it," Will said softly. JJ reached up, pulling him into a hug. Will held her close, rubbing her back gently with one hand.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, turning her head and kissing his cheek.

"It's ok. We'll get past it," Will whispered comfortingly.

xxx

"_How did you find the strength to stay with JJ after the attack and cope with what you had all been through?"_

"_Well, it wasn' easy...but my motivation to get past it was right in front of me the whole time. My motivation was JJ. She might've lost her arm, but that didn' change who she was. She was still the carin', beautiful, most kind hearted person I'd ever met, and I wasn' goin' to let her push me away that easily. No matter what happened then, or what happens in the future, she'll always be the JJ I fell in love with, and I'm always goin' to love her just as much as I did when I met her"_

JJ picked up the remote, turning the TV off, where a re-run of an interview Will had done was playing. She smiled as she took in the sight of him asleep on the couch. Crossing the room with soft footsteps, she replaced the remote on the coffee table, and leant down beside Will, kissing his cheek. His eyes fluttered open, slightly dazed and confused until he realised where he was.

"Jayje?" he groaned, rubbing his eyes. JJ sat down beside him, smiling.

"You fell asleep on the couch. I thought I'd wake you up before you spent all day tomorrow complaining of a sore back and trying to get a free massage out of me," she teased. Will raised one eyebrow.

"Don' forget the sex," he replied, making JJ laugh. Pulling himself up into a sitting position, JJ noticed when he winced.

"You ok?" she asked gently. Will nodded, shuffling to a more comfortable position.

"Just my back," he said reassuringly. JJ watched him with concern as he got to his feet and stretched, exposing his toned stomach. With a flirtatious giggle, JJ moved to stand in front of him, running the tips of her fingers across his skin while pressing her lips to his in a soft kiss.

xxx

JJ was awoken just before midnight by groans coming from the other side of the bed. Turning her head, she found Will curled on his side, facing her, clutching his stomach and groaning in pain.

"Will?" she hissed, suddenly panicked. Placing her hand on his forehead after noticing his flushed cheeks, she found that he was burning up.

"Will, can you move?" she asked.

"I don' think so," Will groaned. He cried out as the pain worsened. JJ kissed his forehead briefly before flinging the covers back.

"I'm calling 911," she said quickly. Not bothering to wait until she'd adjusted to the dark, she ran through the lounge room to the kitchen, knocking her shin on the corner of the coffee table.

"Holy shit!" she gasped, stumbling into the kitchen and fumbling for the light switch. Ignoring the searing pain in her leg, she grabbed the phone, dialling 911.

"911, please state your emergency"

"My husband's in a lot of pain, he can't move," JJ replied anxiously.

"Ok, where is the pain, do you know?"

"He's clutching his stomach, so I'm guessing it's abdominal"

"Do you know if he has a fever?"

"He's burning up"

"Ok, an ambulance has been dispatched to your current location. Don't give him any painkillers or use a heating pad, in case he has appendicitis"

xxx

After calling Penelope and asking her to come and stay with the kids, JJ managed to get Will to the bathroom when his stomach decided to reject its contents. At that moment, they sat against the bathroom wall, Will resting his head on JJ's shoulder as he tried to ignore the pain ripping through his abdomen. He was feverish and sweaty, his face flushed. However, he hadn't once complained of being in pain, even though he winced or groaned every time JJ accidentally bumped him.

"Baby, it hurts, I know. I won't think any less of you," she said softly, kissing his temple. Henry shuffled into the room, dragging his teddy bear and rubbing his eyes.

"Daddy? What wrong?" he asked. As he knelt down, he stumbled, falling against Will's stomach. Will cried out in agony as Henry pushed against the most painful point in his abdomen, instinctively pushing the little boy away. Henry freaked out, scrambling into Mommy's lap.

"Daddy, I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, looking worried, tears filling his eyes.

"It's...ok," Will choked out, grimacing as a sharp stab of pain ripped through his side. Upon hearing an urgent knock at the door, JJ pulled herself away from Will, kissing his cheek.

"I'll be back, I've got to go let the paramedics in. Henry, take care of Daddy, ok?" she said softly. Henry nodded, slipping his hand into Daddy's as Mommy left the room.

xxx

Penelope showed up as the paramedics were getting Will into the ambulance.

"Pen, thank you so much, I'm sorry, I know it's late, I promise I'll make it up to you!" JJ rambled.

"Jayje, it's ok, go with Will, don't call until he's been checked out. We'll be fine. Go!" Penelope ordered, practically pushing JJ into the back of the ambulance.

JJ held Will's hand while the medic took a blood pressure reading and put him on oxygen.

"It hurts like a bitch," Will groaned, his voice muffled under the mask. JJ gently brushed his hair back from his sweaty face and kissed his forehead.

"You're going to be fine," she said softly. Will took a deep breath as another stab of pain ripped through his stomach.

xxx

Two hours were spent in the emergency room, waiting for the results of an abdominal CT, an ultrasound, and a urine test. Will was in increasing pain with every passing minute, and was getting sick more often. JJ was getting increasingly worried about his condition, and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Dr Collins approaching them with the test results in his hand.

"William, you have appendicitis," he stated, putting the ultrasound up on the light box and indicating Will's inflamed appendix.

"Is that serious?" Will groaned.

"If we leave it any longer, yes. The progression of your case requires immediate emergency surgery, otherwise it may progress to a critical stage, especially if your appendix ruptures," Collins explained.

JJ stayed right by Will's side throughout the journey up to the surgical ward. As they reached the point where she wasn't allowed, she leaned down and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"I'll be there when you wake up," she promised. Will gave her a weak, but pained smile as he was taken away from her into the operating room.

**A/N: Next chapter soon!**

**Please leave a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	43. Over Exertion

**A/N: So, I was jumping on the trampoline, thinking up new ideas for this story, when all of a sudden, one of the springs gave way because it was stretched to breaking point, and projectiled at top speed into my foot (which, for the record, is incredibly bony). Foot is bruised, swollen, and very sore. Was extremely swollen last night. Nothing is broken.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Will forced his eyes open, feeling extremely groggy from being under the anaesthesia. As his reluctant eyes focused, JJ's face swam into view.

"Hey," she said softly, resting her elbow on the side rail and reaching down to take his hand in hers. "How are you feeling?"

Will gave her a dazed smile. "Much better...I love pain killers," he whispered, grinning like a fool. JJ chuckled, kissing the back of his hand.

"So did I," she replied. "I'm going to go and get Dr Collins, ok? I'll be right back," she promised. Will nodded, now a little more awake. As JJ got up to leave, their fingers remained intertwined for as long as possible, before she broke away and headed for the door.

xxx

Will's first meal was a completely liquid meal, to ease his digestive system back into normal function after an invasive procedure. The first night, after the anaesthetic wore off, he was pretty sore from having his insides probed during the operation, and couldn't sleep at all. JJ stayed by his side the entire night, distracting him from the pain.

"Remember the first time we ever went on a date?" she said softly, brushing his soft brown hair out of his eyes. Will nodded, taking a deep breath.

"All I could think about was how hot you looked in that dress," he admitted. JJ giggled, trailing her hand down to link with his.

"All I could think about was how handsome you looked in that shirt," she replied, squeezing his hand gently. Will winced as he shifted a little, his stitches stinging as they were pulled ever so slightly. Bringing his hand up to her face, JJ pressed a gentle kiss to the back of his hand, just to the side of his IV drip.

"You'll feel better tomorrow. Especially if you can try to get some sleep," she suggested.

"I know. It hurts," Will replied. JJ knew if he was complaining that it hurt, it was actually causing him a fair amount of pain. Leaning down, she kissed his forehead and pushed his hair back from his face again.

After two days, when Will was feeling up to it, JJ brought the kids to the hospital.

"Daddy, you better now!" Henry screeched, running into the room. Meilani giggled ecstatically as she toddled in behind her big brother.

"I sure am," Will replied, ruffling Henry's blonde head.

"'Cause you was really sick de other night. You had a bad tummy ache," Henry stated.

"I did have a bad tummy ache, but do ya know what?" Will replied as JJ lifted Henry up onto the bed.

"What Daddy?"

"The doctors cut open my tummy, and they pulled out some o' my guts," Will said seriously. Henry giggled while JJ gave Will a look that said '_Did you really have to tell him that?'_.

"Did they really?"

"Well...only a little bit," Will replied. Henry laughed. Will looked to his right, seeing Meilani standing on the chair and holding onto the edge of the bed.

"Dada, grrr!" Meilani growled, initiating the game Daddy always played with her.

"Grrr!" Will growled back, sending Meilani into a fit of laughter. He laughed a little, wincing sharply as pain shot through his stitches. JJ gave him a worried look.

"It's ok, it's ok! I'm not supposed to be laughin' or anythin' like that," Will said hurriedly. JJ relaxed, shaking her head as she took a seat by Will's bed, while the kids chattered (or babbled in gibberish in Meilani's case) to Daddy.

xxx

After Emily and Morgan had insisted on having the kids for a little while, JJ brought Will home from the hospital.

"It's good to be home. I hate hospital food," Will said as he got out of the car. JJ grinned, grabbing his (thankfully) light bag off of the backseat and heading for the front door. Will reached around her, grabbing the house keys from her pocket, and pinching her bum as he pulled away.

"Hey! Sneaky bastard," she shot back, making him grin as he unlocked the door. Following him into the house, she threw his bag onto their bed before retreating to the lounge room, where Will was already sitting on the couch.

"Feels good to be home," he repeated, stretching out across the couch. JJ grinned, sitting down where he was resting his head. Will shifted, laying his head in her lap and looking up at her.

"Why didn't you tell me you were in pain that day? We could've prevented that whole episode," JJ asked. Will looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I guess I didn' wanna worry ya, cher. I didn' think it was anythin' serious until that night," he replied. JJ smiled softly, running her fingers through his hair.

"Even if you'd told me, and I _had_ freaked out...I think I still take the prize for worrying people the most," she teased. Will grinned.

"You mos' definitely do, cher"

xxx

Emily pulled Morgan down onto the couch, looking straight into his eyes.

"We really need to talk," she said softly. Morgan looked worried for a moment before she smiled.

"Don't worry, I'm not about to break up with you," she assured. Morgan heaved a sigh of relief, a warm smile breaking onto his face.

"Thank god, because I was gonna say, you're pretty good at hiding it if you wanted to break up," he rambled off, taking her clasped hands between his. "What's the matter?"

"Well...it's not really a problem, depending on how you see it, it's not an issue for me, unless it's a problem for you, or you're not happy-"

"Emily," Morgan said softly, cutting her off. "Just say it"

Emily took a deep breath, gripping his hands tightly. "I'm pregnant," she told him, her voice so quiet, Morgan thought he'd heard wrong. The look of shock and excitement on his face made Emily's heart skip a beat.

"Oh my god, you don't want a child, what the hell were we thinking? I should've gone on The Pill-"

"Emily, you're rambling again," Morgan cut in softly. When Emily looked back into his eyes, she found that he was smiling.

"It's a little surprising, but there's nothing more I would want in the world than a family with you. I love you, Emily Prentiss, and I'm going to love our baby just as much," he said reassuringly, sealing the deal with a deep, loving kiss. When they broke apart, Emily's eyes were filled with tears.

"Emily? What's wrong?" Morgan asked, immediately worried. Emily burst into full blown tears, reaching up to put her arms around his neck.

"I love you too," she said tearfully. Morgan laughed as he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Hormones?"

"That, and you're a total sweetheart," Emily replied, her voice muffled from the vicinity of his shoulder. Morgan grinned, pressing a kiss to her temple and rubbing her back comfortingly.

xxx

JJ sighed when Will winced while he was trying to fix the loose hinge on the window in the lounge room. "Seriously, you're not going to get better if you keep pushing yourself like this. Sit down!"

Will raised his hands in surrender. "This coming from the woman who lost her arm and couldn't sit still for five minutes"

"I wasn't at risk of relapsing if I didn't take it easy. Besides, I spent plenty of time lying around sulking about having lost my arm!"

"Ok then, I'll sit down and have a sulk about how I don't have an appendix anymore," Will teased. JJ laughed, putting down the mail she had in her hand.

"Newsflash Will, an appendix isn't even important. An arm kind of is," she shot back. Will fought back the urge to laugh, knowing it would cause pain in his scar if he did. A little chuckle escaped, followed by another wince. JJ slapped her palm against her forehead, walking past and pushing him back against the couch. Will grabbed her wrist as he fell back, pulling her down as well, making her shriek with surprise as she hit the cushions. Biting her lip to try and fight back a grin, she draped her arm over his shoulders and kissed him softly.

"You big meanie," she teased. Will grinned, poking her side, where he knew she was ticklish, making her flinch.

"That'd be me," he replied softly, kissing her back. JJ smiled, bringing her hand up to play with his hair as the kiss deepened.

xxx

_**Surfing**_

_Like I said earlier, I first learned to surf when I was a little girl. Ever since, it's been something I turned to for pleasure or relaxation, but I was never a diehard surfer._

_The team trip to Hawaii was the first time in a while that I had surfed, and when I stood up on that board, on that beautiful blue wave, it just felt incredible. I knew I was going to have to get back into the swing of surfing, because after that rush, there was no way I could go back to the way it was before._

_Then I was attacked, and that first day in the hospital, I was crushed. I didn't think I would be able to surf ever again. I actually cried over it; I was that disappointed, that just a couple of days after feeling that intensity from surfing again, it looked to be all over._

_Will promised me I could do anything I set my mind to. At first, I didn't believe him. I wasn't myself for those first few days. I lost my sense of humour, and I struggled to the see the good in my situation; I didn't think there was any. My outlook was 'What good can possibly come from losing my arm?'._

_A couple of weeks later, I got back in the water, and that rush came back. Pretty quickly, I knew I couldn't just drop surfing and return to normal. So, with Derek's help, and Bethany Hamilton's help, I learned how adjust to surfing with one arm. I have to adjust to certain waves, by shifting my weight so I'm more balanced. In some cases, I need to bring my arm all the way around my body in a snap, so that I don't overbalance and fall face first off my board. I also need to kick a lot more with my legs to make up for the loss of my arm._

_I can't explain how surfing makes me feel. It's my passion. It has wholly replaced my job at the BAU. When I joined the BAU, I'd thought 'This is for me, this is what I love'. Now, it's the cool salt water and the sun on my skin, for a living. Surfing is amazing. It's a feeling that I can't explain in words, but at the same time, only a surfer could possibly understand._

_To glide through the clear blue water on the fibreglass surface of a short board is something I never even thought I would love as much as I do now. Besides spending time with my family, nothing feels better than having droplets of salt water gliding over my skin as I carve and send spray up everywhere._

_Having one arm doesn't dampen these feelings at all. Surfing is still everything it was to me twenty years ago, if not more. It's been nearly 2 and a half years since the attack, and everything comes naturally to me now. When I prepare to pull a snap, I lean forward, reaching down with my arm, and pivot my body and the board around my arm, pulling up in time to regain my balance. When I carve, I throw my arm out behind me to give me a sense of balance._

_It's all part of a rhythm, a dance almost. It feels like it's been choreographed, but in reality, when you're out there on the wave, you do whatever tricks the wave will allow you to do._

_I might not know what's ahead of me in the future, but I do know that my family will support me through anything, just like they did when I was struggling with the loss of my arm._

_And just like when I'm out on the wave, I'll make it up as I go along._

**A/N: Whew, that took forever! Much apologies!**

**Please leave a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	44. Light Gives Hope

**A/N: Guys, I'm OBSESSED with the RMS Titanic! Like, completely and utterly captivated by the stories and wreck. I decided that if I ever have enough money, I'm going down to see the wreck of the world's most famous ship.**

**I know the speech is cut off a bit, but it got hard to not repeat myself.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

JJ practically skipped into the room, sliding up onto the counter stool beside Will. "You know, it's a good thing we weren't engaged when I was attacked"

Will looked up from the newspaper, looking straight ahead instead of turning to JJ. "Am I s'posed to take that as an insult, or a compliment, or what?" he asked, turning to look at her.

"Neither. I'm just saying that if we'd been engaged, the shark would've eaten my engagement ring," JJ said simply. Will stared at her incredulously before they both started laughing.

"Def'nitely a good thing"

"You know what else? Losing an arm made me lose weight as well," JJ added.

"Oh my god, JJ," Will laughed, dropping his head to the counter. JJ giggled, resting her hand on his back.

xxx

Will was leaning against the kitchen counter, JJ sitting across from him reading the travel section of the newspaper, when he heard Henry and Meilani giggling. Looking up towards the couch, he burst out laughing at what he saw.

"Jayje," he laughed. JJ looked up, and seeing his face, turned to look at the kids, immediately laughing as well.

Henry had obviously gone into his parents' wardrobe, and had unhooked JJ's prosthetic arm from over the hanging rail. He was now using it to poke and tickle Meilani, who was giggling hysterically as she rolled around on the rug.

"What are you doing?" JJ asked, getting up off the counter stool. Henry giggled, holding the arm out to JJ, who just stood there laughing at her son. The final straw was when Henry, laughing hysterically, draped it over his shoulder and used it to scratch his back. Will and JJ couldn't contain their laughter at that.

"Henry, you are such a dork," Will teased gently, slinging Henry over his shoulder. Henry giggled, handing the arm to JJ as his face went pink.

"Sack ride! Sack ride!" he chanted. JJ watched, highly amused, as Will took Henry for a joyride through the house.

"Mama! Ewee siyyey!" Meilani giggled. JJ smiled, dropping the prosthetic on the couch as she bent down and lifted her baby girl up. At just over one and a half, she was the spitting image of her daddy, and her vocabulary was coming along well.

"Henry is silly, isn't he baby girl?" JJ laughed, kissing Meilani's head. Meilani chose that moment to yawn widely, her dark brown curls bouncing as she flopped her head down to JJ's shoulder.

"Somebody needs a nap," JJ said softly. Leaving her husband and son to their raucous games, she carried Meilani to her 'princess' room (that Will had poured hours into, just as he had done with Henry's 'dinosaur' themed room), and lay Meilani down in her toddler bed. Watching as the little girl settled under her covers, JJ slowly retreated from the room, pulling the door almost closed behind her.

"She asleep already?" Will asked as he approached her, Henry still dangling over his shoulder. JJ grinned.

"Yes she is, and if you don't put him down, his head will explode," she teased.

"Cool!" Henry chimed in, making his parents laugh as Will set him back on his feet.

"Henry, you are a strange little boy," JJ laughed, ruffling his hair before he ran off to play.

xxx

JJ took a deep breath to try and settle her nerves as she stood beside Bethany off of the stage. They had been invited to speak out at the annual 'Light Gives Hope' benefit in DC, an event that was designed to make those who felt like their life was at its worst, feel better about whatever they were going through, and to draw hope and inspiration from. It was an event that was played up in the spotlight every year. People with inspirational stories, such as JJ and Bethany, were invited to speak, well known bands whose songs gave messages of hope and happiness were invited to play, and some well known people of the arts, such as film, TV, and dance, were given the chance to tell how some of them struggled to get to their current positions. All in all, it was specifically structured to leave those who attended and those who watched on TV feeling like they were in control, like their lives were going to be ok.

There was a huge crowd packed in front of the stage, which was what made JJ nervous. It wasn't the public speaking, or the fact that there _was_ a crowd, it was the _size_ of the crowd. It was massive! It had been expected that about 30000 people would show up, as it was being held in a huge sports stadium. The stage had been set up on the far end, and the grandstands, plus the remaining grass space, were filled with people.

"Please welcome Jennifer Jareau and Bethany Hamilton!" the host called into the microphone, sending the crowd into a deafening applause. JJ and Bethany smiled as though they were completely comfortable with the setting and walked side by side onto the huge stage, waving to the crowd of cheering people. The only part that JJ was used to was the constant flashing of cameras and TV cameras rolling, thanks to her days as media liaison.

They took the microphones, and waited for the crowd to die down while the host stepped to wait offstage for them to finish.

"Right now, some people may be thinking that their lives are going terribly, that nothing good could possibly come from whatever's happening in their lives at the moment. That may even be some of you...well, things do get better. We're living proof that even when it seems like it's the worst it could be, it gets better," Bethany started, her voice steady and calm. JJ took a deep breath, bringing the microphone up so she could speak.

"We truly believe that God helped us through the most difficult times in our lives. He is the one that loves us the most no matter what. And the truth is, we both needed help from someone much bigger than ourselves to pull our lives back together," she said, her voice calmer than she had expected. "Good things will always come from the bad. Bethany and I were both attacked by sharks. We both felt that it was a downfall in our lives, and we've both had the amazing opportunity to inspire others. For a long time, I felt like giving up hope. When I turned my life around, I wanted to make sure that others out there weren't giving up either"

"After my attack, I felt as though surfing again was something that would never happen. My dream of becoming a professional surfer was thought to be shattered, lying on the ground in pieces. But after a few days, I began to change my mind, and I found that it might be possible. Three weeks later, when I stood up on that surfboard, I found new hope. I want to share that gift with others, and inspire them to live their lives to the fullest, no matter what happens. I know that God helped me through my ordeal, I know that God helped JJ through her ordeal, and I want others to be able to share in our faith," Bethany explained.

"It's not just God that helped us through. We both had support coming from amazing family and friends. I know I wouldn't be where I am today, on the road to becoming a professional surfer, finally comfortable with my situation, if I hadn't had the love and support of my colleagues, who are like a family to me, and were with me when I was attacked. The unwavering love of my husband was just incredible, and really helped me get back on my feet. I also had support from Bethany, who was able to share her story with me. It was great to be able to talk to someone who could literally relate to what I was going through. What I'm trying to say here is that when things get too much, and life feels hard, get help. Talk to someone you trust, and accept the support of family and friends. I've always been fiercely independent, but after my attack, when I was just learning how to live with one arm, I was pushing away the support that everyone was offering me, because I wanted to be independent, and I didn't want to feel weak. Don't do what I did. It prolongs your hardship. Take help when you need it," JJ said meaningfully.

xxx

"Instead of viewing the fact that we both only have one arm as a disability, we would rather see it as our ability to help others, and share our story. We both feel that we can do so much more with one arm than we could have with two," JJ explained.

"To leave with you, and to hopefully convince you that things always get better, we have a short verse than has helped us through the most difficult times since our attacks," Bethany said conclusively, looking to JJ, who stepped up towards the spotlight, ready to recite the closing line that they hoped would leave everyone in a better state.

"Jeremiah, 29:11. 'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope, and a future'," she said confidently. Bethany stepped up beside her as the crowd clapped and cheered, elated over their speech.

xxx

_**The BAU**_

_I joined the Behavioural Analysis Unit in 2004, in a new position as the team's media liaison. My job description was to field dozens of cases from various parts of the country, take phone calls from detectives begging for our help, choose with cases to present to the team and take on, and to keep the media at bay whenever we were working cases._

_Despite the horrible things I saw every day when I opened those folders, I loved my job. I liked that when we were on cases, I wasn't just the media liaison, I was also the person that families of victims could turn to for comfort and support. I liked that role._

_I'd never considered becoming a profiler. I was happy doing what I already knew. _

_When I was pregnant with Henry, I still continued to travel with the team (despite Will's insistence that I stay home). I had a little trouble in the early days of the pregnancy, when I was still suffering from morning sickness. Looking at the case files didn't help. Once that cleared up, I worked right up until I went into labour._

_The next couple of years were uneventful. Then came the team vacation to Hawaii. My attack and the following events were excruciating; not physically, but emotionally._

_I had been cleared to go out in the field, and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to do that again. My job seemed to have been suddenly demoted to a desk job. That was definitely not what I wanted._

_I went back to the BAU a little while after returning home from Hawaii, about nine weeks after the attack. I was given a special firearms qualification, and I took lessons to become a profiler. _

_Until I competed for the first time, I was pretty happy at the BAU. But after competing at Turtle Bay, and later, a long way down the road, Nationals, I began to see that I was torn between two places. I knew that to keep competing, I was going to have to quit my job in the FBI. I was handed two choices; do what I'd loved for nearly seven years, or take a new lifestyle, one that allowed me to travel the world, and surf for a living._

_I made my choice._

_In four months time, provided my application to the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) goes through, I'll finish my stint at the BAU._

_I get to start afresh, thanks to a split second on the morning of July 26, 2011._

**A/N: What did you think?**

**Guys, I can braid my hair like Katniss Everdeen!**

**Please leave a review!**

**SQ215 xxx**


	45. Sleepless in DC

**A/N: For inspiration purposes, this is set around the finale. I know I did another chapter earlier with the scene from 'Closing Time', but to make the timeline more believable, the finale scenes are happening later than they would have on the show, kay?**

**Oh, and the book chapter ended up being excessively long, because the 'real life' part of this chapter is basically pointless fluff, while the chapter focuses on the chapter of her book.**

**Anon: Yes, I have rushed the surfing part. Yes, I know surfing does take years of hard work. I can pass some of the 'rushed'ness off on the fact that JJ 1) is a natural competitor 2) has been surfing from a young age (Chapter 26, at the end) 3) has natural talent. But, I did it on purpose, because I need the story to be at a certain point when I finish it, and I swore I'd go no further than 50 chapters, so I had to rush the competitions and things like that, but I tried to make it as believable as possible. Remember, JJ's application to the ASP hasn't gone through? I never mentioned that it had. I'm trying to keep her somewhat rushed journey to pro surfing believable, so forgive me. Keep these things in mind, and thanks for your review.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

When the gunshots had gone off inside the bank, JJ felt like a part of her had died. They'd shot Will. Screaming helplessly, she'd fought against Morgan's hold, eventually giving in, and pressing her hand over her mouth in shock as Emily watched her in horror.

She'd sat in the FBI surveillance truck, eyes red and brimming with tears as she tried to find out where he'd been shot. She'd looked over at Hotch, fighting back tears, asked him with her eyes to let them go in. The Unit Chief had been powerless to resist her terrified, heartbroken expression.

As JJ had approached the bank with Morgan, a thunderous explosion was followed by the entire bank going up in flames. JJ had thrown herself to the ground, and when she managed to regain some sort of focus, her only intent was finding Will.

Then came the whole realisation that Izzy was going to their house, where Henry and Meilani awaited Mommy and Daddy's return home.

After Rossi had created a distraction, JJ had fought desperately for the safety of her two kids, taking down the trained assassin, with her one hand and her kick ass roundhouse. Her kids were safe, and after receiving the news that Will had almost been blown up, but had been heroically saved by Emily, Rossi took the three of them to the hospital.

JJ walked around the curtain, leaving the kids with Rossi. Will looked up, seeing her approach him, and quickly got rid of the sling he was wearing. As she put her arm around him, he wrapped his arms around her, glad that they were all safe.

"They say I need another x-ray," he said softly. JJ fought back the urge to cry, taking a deep breath as she began to pull away.

Will looked into her eyes, seeing the tears threatening to spill over. "Hey...no tears," he scolded gently as she wiped away a single tear. "Henry and Meilani are safe. It's all gonna be fine"

"I thought you were dead," JJ admitted softly, the barrier breaking as tears cascaded down her cheeks. Will reached up, brushing away the drops staining her pale skin.

"I'm ok. I'm right here. It's all gonna be fine. We're gonna go home, curl up on the couch, watch terrible movies, and eat popcorn, just like we always do," he said, grinning. JJ let out a laugh, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Promise?"

"I promise, cher"

xxx

After a night where both Henry and Meilani had woken up screaming multiple times, thanks to Izzy's scary story, Will and JJ felt like absolute zombies come morning.

When Meilani began to cry softly around half six, JJ kicked Will hard in the shin, only to get a snore as a response. Groaning, she dragged herself out of bed and shuffled down the hall to Meilani's room. Entering the room, she found Meilani curled in a ball, clutching to a teddy that Uncle Morgan had given her for her birthday, tears streaking her little face.

"Mama," she sobbed, reaching up for JJ. JJ sat down on the edge of the little butterfly toddler bed, allowing Meilani to crawl into her lap.

"Are you scared, baby girl?" she asked softly, pressing a kiss to Meilani's forehead. Meilani nodded, burying her face in against JJ's chest.

"Why don't we go get some breakfast, hey? Then maybe you can watch Tinker Bell," JJ offered gently, scooping Meilani up and easily settling her against her hip.

"Tin'ta Bewe?" Meilani asked, perking up. JJ nodded, smiling and kissing her little girl's cheek as she carried her out to the kitchen bench.

xxx

Due to their lack of sleep the previous night, the day proved to be difficult for JJ and Will to get through. If they got too comfortable anywhere, they were likely to fall asleep.

When Will sprawled across the couch after putting on a load of laundry, he fell asleep, only to have the kids poke him repeatedly until he woke up.

JJ, while attempting to read the paper, ended up slumped over at the table, until Will walked past and poked her in the side, making her jump up and chase him into the kitchen.

Derek and Emily took the kids again for the afternoon, to allow JJ and Will some time for themselves, time to recuperate from Saturday, and so that they themselves could get familiar with what it was like to take care of a child.

"JJ just said to let ourselves in," Emily said as they approached the front door to drop the little ones back home. Reaching out, Derek opened the front door, and stepped inside, Meilani on his hip. Emily followed behind, Henry holding her hand.

Stopping short in the lounge room, while Emily, continued past him, Derek smiled widely. "Em, have a look at this"

Emily doubled back, also smiling when she saw what was in front of her. "That is so sweet"

Will and JJ were asleep on the couch, JJ resting against Will's chest, their hands intertwined loosely. They both looked exhausted, and judging from what Henry had told Emily, they probably were. Reaching into her pocket for her phone, Emily quickly snapped a photo.

"Here kiddo, let me put you down for a sec," Derek said softly, letting Meilani down next to her brother.

"Otay"

Silently crossing the room, Derek picked up the throw blanket from the end of the couch, and carefully draped it over the sleeping couple, before returning to his girlfriend's side.

"You're a good friend," Emily said softly, looking at him and smiling. Derek smiled back, before swinging Meilani back up to his hip.

"I guess we'd better keep these two munchkins entertained for a bit longer and let Mommy and Daddy sleep, yeah?" he said quietly, looking at Meilani, who giggled and nodded.

xxx

Will opened his eyes, momentarily not realising where he was. When he heard JJ's phone buzz on the table behind his head, he snapped back to reality. Grabbing it, he saw a message from Emily, simply saying '_We'll look after the kids for a bit longer. You guys get some rest. Em xx'_.

JJ stirred, lifting her head slightly. Will put her phone back, bringing his hand back down to brush her hair back behind her ear.

"Hey...we slept through the afternoon," he said softly. JJ blinked a few times, trying to clear her foggy sleep vision from her eyes.

"What about the kids?" she asked sleepily.

"Emily and Derek are gonna look after them for a bit longer so we can rest," he replied.

"Thank God...I love them, but I'm exhausted," JJ mumbled, dropping her head back down to Will's chest. He grinned. Looking up at the ceiling, he closed his eyes again, and it didn't take long before they were both fast asleep.

xxx

_**Kids**_

_Looking at Will and myself now, you'd never have thought that, five years ago, we were quietly terrified at the thought of being parents._

_Will and I had only been public (or so we thought) for about two months. After a rough couple of weeks at work, I realised that I had missed a cycle._

_My heart literally pounded at the thought._

_After my realisation, I raced to the pharmacy and bought a home pregnancy test. But I was so in denial that I sat at my kitchen table for two hours, just staring at that box like it was Satan._

_Don't get me wrong; I wanted a family. I love Will, and the thought of raising a family with him was something that made my heart flutter. But it had been such a rough time for us, what with my refusal to make our relationship public, the fact that he was still living in New Orleans, and the number of horrible cases I'd seen in a short period of time, mostly involving kids._

_At that very point in time, the thought of a family, a small child that would depend on Will and I for a long time to come, was quite a terrifying thought. Especially when Will and I both know all about the kinds of monsters out there that hunt kids._

_I finally opened the box, and after another ten minutes had passed, I took one of the tests. When it came back positive, I fell into bed and cried._

_Happiness?_

_Relief that I finally knew why I'd been feeling strange?_

_Fear?_

_I'm not sure._

_I called Will two weeks later and told him that I was pregnant. When I heard how excited my news made him, I felt a lot better. I realised that it wasn't as daunting as it first seemed, and pretty quickly, I was overjoyed at the thought of a baby._

_Will moved to DC shortly after, and we spent a lot of time pondering over our new future. We were still terrified; what soon to be parent isn't? But we knew that we would make it work, and together, with our new baby, we would be a happy family._

_When Henry came along, all my anxiety disappeared as soon as I saw his little angel face when the nurse put him in my arms for the first time. His eyes were just open, and he was beginning to quiet down from his initial cry._

_That was the first time I ever saw Will cry._

_The days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Before we knew it, our little blonde mischief maker was celebrating his first birthday._

_Now, here is where the happy story begins to get sad. I advise a near supply of Kleenex if you cry easily._

_Three weeks before we went to Hawaii, I began to feel tired, a little bloated, and was crying a lot easier than I usually do. Then on the day I was supposed to start my cycle, it never came. And that led me to the realisation that I'd missed the last one as well, but it was lost in the whirlwind of work I'd buried myself in. _

_As soon as I realised, I practically flew for the bathroom cabinet, and grabbed one of the leftover pregnancy tests. It came back positive, and I was overjoyed this time. But I wanted to keep it a secret from Will for just a little longer. I decided to tell him while we were in Hawaii; we would get there on the 23rd, and exactly a week later, the 30th, would be the anniversary of the day Will and I met (yes, we're very cheesy romantics). I knew that that day would be the perfect day to tell him that Henry was going to be a big brother._

_Only I had no idea that I would never get to give him the good news._

_The day of the attack, I kissed him goodbye, and my stomach fluttered with excitement as I thought about how there were only four more days that I had to hold onto this secret for._

_While I was out surfing, for once, my mind didn't dwell on the tiny being inside me. My mind was captivated by the breathtaking beauty of the Hawaiian coastline, and the clarity of the crystal blue water. Lying there with Emily, we talked and laughed as we took in the endless beauty all around us. We had no idea about the creature lurking below us, that was about to rip a hole in my heart that would never fully heal._

_As soon as that shark pulled away, taking my arm with it, the water went bright red, and my thoughts flashed back to the baby in my womb. My heart leapt and a lump formed in my throat, tears welling in my eyes. I went into autopilot, turning into a robot almost; everything felt so automatic, and I was so numb. If I could stay calm, my blood would slow, and there was a chance that our baby would survive._

_As Derek pulled me to shore, like I mentioned earlier, I was praying to God. Derek says he got the gist of most of it, that I was praying out loud with Him to keep me alive. I was also begging Him not to take my child away. _

_Although I did write what happened between being attacked and being carried to the truck, there is a whole chunk of time, probably about five to ten minutes, that is just missing from my mind. No matter how hard I try, I can't remember what happened. There's not even a blur, just a blank space. I got the details of that space from the members of the team who were with me on the beach, and from what they said happened, I managed to piece together how I was feeling at the time._

_When I found myself looking up at the sky, my hand automatically came to rest over my stomach, and I prayed once again for my baby's survival. When Hotch took my hand in the truck, I wanted to tell him about the baby, because I was so scared, but a part of me knew I couldn't tell Hotch before telling Will. Especially if the baby didn't make it. Then I passed out as they took me to Trauma, and my mind was peaceful for the first time since the shark attacked me._

_I woke up in Recovery God knows how long after. I was so tired, and I wasn't awake for long, but I was alert long enough for Dr Jackson to explain to me the nature of my condition._

_He told me that I'd lost my arm, but I was going to be ok._

_He told me he did everything he could, but my baby hadn't survived._

_Too tired to cry, too numb to feel, I slipped into a deep sleep, plagued by vivid flashbacks and images of a lost child._

_When I woke up, I was too scared to tell Will. I also didn't want to break his heart when he was already so worried about me. I couldn't do that too him._

_I struggled the entire time we were in Hawaii. I suffered in silence. I dealt with the loss of my arm, and the loss of our child. Half the time, my tears were for the sibling Henry would never have, the child that Will and I would never hold. There was a huge hole in my heart the size of the shark's jaws, and it felt like it was never going to heal._

_Nearly two months later, not long before we left Hawaii, I discovered that I was in fact pregnant again. Immediately, the broken feeling I'd been carrying (but hiding extremely well) began to fade. I told Will I was pregnant and he was ecstatic. I knew that a baby was going to help us move on from what we'd been through in Hawaii, and it was going to help me recover from my depression over our baby._

_The hole in my heart began to shrink, and nine months later, little Meilani entered the world. She's such a good little girl. Will and I could not have asked for a better daughter._

_Meilani is my little blessing. Without even knowing, she has helped me move on from losing a child, and has filled that seemingly irreparable hole._

_I told Will about two years after the attack. It had weighed down on me too long, and I knew he had the right to know. He was angry at me at first, but after I explained to him why I'd never told him, we managed to work it out, and now, I think it's made us stronger._

_Henry and Meilani are beautiful. Henry looks like me, with his angel blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Meilani is the absolute spitting image of Will. She has his eyes, his skin tone, and his gorgeous brown hair. And at almost two, she's truly Daddy's Little Girl. Will adores her, but of course, he loves Henry just as much. I always joke that I hope Meilani doesn't inherit Will's Southern accent._

_Whatever happens in the future, wherever we end up, Will and I both know that our kids will always be the light of our lives. We love both of them so much, and we're both glad Meilani came along when she did. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to move on from my attack, and my relationship with Will would probably be hanging in threads by now._

_Kids are a blessing. After listening to my mother complain for years about our behaviour as kids, I never believed it myself. But as soon as I had Henry, I knew it was true. And Meilani only made me believe it more._

_Henry, Meilani, no matter what happens, Mom and Dad always have and always will, love you to no end._


	46. Niagra Falls

**A/N: This chapter is inspired by something that happened to my household a couple of weeks ago. Let hilarity ensue.**

**Let me know what you think of the cover?**

**Really sorry about the slow update on this. We're almost done with the first instalment. I've been preoccupied with my new story 'Safe & Sound', an angsty, tear jerking fic about JJ and Will.**

**I may take a break from Soul Surfer once this is completed, before I start the next one, as there's only so many ways to describe surfing :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Will stood under the stream of shower water, letting the hot water wash away the sleepy feeling of a good night's rest. Putting the bar of soap down that he had in his hand, he reached down to grab the shampoo he used from the step inside the shower. As he closed his hand around the bottle, he heard two distinct thunks; one right above his head, and another in the direction of the kitchen. Looking up, his eyes grew wide as he saw the rapidly spreading stain on the ceiling.

"Shit, shit, SHIT!" he exclaimed, fumbling for the tap. Turning the water off as fast as he could, he grabbed a towel, and yanked the bathroom door open.

"JJ!" he yelled, but not fast enough. With a shriek from the kitchen, the pipes in the roof gave way, sending water pouring out of the joins in the ceiling of the bathroom, and the kitchen. It was also cascading from the ceiling fan above the shower. Looking down the hallway, Will realised it was running down the nearby walls as well.

"WILL!" JJ cried out from the kitchen.

"JJ, you know the water valve out front?" Will yelled.

"Yeah?"

"Run outside and turn it off as hard as you can! Quick!" Will instructed. He heard the sound of JJ racing for the front door, and the following sound of the front door opening. A few moments passed before the water finally slowed, before stopping altogether.

Exiting the bathroom, Will quickly threw on jeans a T-shirt. Throwing his towel down on the hallway floor to begin to soak up some of the water, he made his way into the kitchen.

It was a _little_ worse than he expected.

"Dada spashy!" Meilani giggled, jumping around in the pool of water that now covered the kitchen floor. Will lifted her up, putting her in her highchair to keep her out of trouble. Turning around, he found a very bedraggled, soaking wet JJ standing behind him, and couldn't help laughing. Henry covered his mouth with his hands as he attempted to control his giggles.

"You didn't hear my warnin'?" Will laughed. JJ scowled.

"No. All I got was 'JJ!', and then what felt like a bucketful of water over my head," she snapped. Will bit his lip as he tried to contain his laughter. JJ crossed the kitchen, lifting the frypan off the stove.

"I was making Henry's breakfast. I heard you yell out, and I was about to reply when all the water came gushing out of the fan," she explained, holding the frypan, which was full of water, out to Will. Will grimaced at the soggy yellow fluffy cloudy looking things that were floating in the water.

"What was _that_ in its previous life?" he asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Scrambled eggs," JJ replied, dumping the pan in the sink. Will pretended to be absolutely horrified, making Henry laugh. "What do we do now? Our house is like Niagra Falls!"

"I'm gonna go up in the roof and see what broke. Then I'll go to the hardware store and find the part that needs replacin'. You should be able to take a shower by lunchtime," Will explained.

"I'll change my clothes and mop up all the water," JJ added. Passing each other, they set about cleaning up the mess.

xxx

While JJ spread out all the towels she could find to try and soak up the water, Will checked up in the roof to see what the trouble was. Upon finding what part required replacement, he came back down from the roof to see how JJ was fairing with the clean up.

"Hey, hey, hey, Meilani!" JJ cried, grabbing the little girl around the middle before she could jump into yet _another_ puddle.

"Mama, spashy ta!" Meilani shrieked, struggling against Mommy's hold. Will walked over and lifted his little girl up, relieving JJ of her struggles.

"Are you bein' difficult for your mama?" he asked knowingly. Meilani giggled, burying her face in Daddy's shoulder.

"That's what I thought, Princess. How 'bout you come with me to the hardware store?" Will laughed as JJ left the room to take a bunch of soaked towels to the laundry. Meilani nodded, pointing out the window to the driveway.

"Vroom vroom," she giggled. Will grinned, kissing his little angel's cheek. JJ laughed as she re entered the room with dry towels.

"Sounds like fun, sweetie," she said warmly, running her hand through Meilani's dark brown hair.

xxx

It felt like the water was multiplying every time JJ came back with dry towels. As she dropped some down in the hallway, Will came running through from the back of the house.

"Will!-"

"Another one's about to go in the kitchen!" Will called over his shoulder.

"Will, I haven't completely dried up the-!"

She was cut off by a loud thump, followed by a splash. Meilani started laughing, while Henry seemed to be asking Daddy if he was ok.

Hurrying through to the kitchen, she found Will lying on his back in the middle of a puddle.

"I tried to tell you," was all she had to say. Will groaned as he pulled himself up off the floor.

"I know," he replied, wincing as his head spun slightly. JJ helped him up, getting him to sit on the stool beside Meilani, before grabbing an ice pack for the back of his head.

Alternating between playing nurse and cleaning up for a while, JJ managed to dry up the majority of the puddles. When the pain in Will's head dulled down, he finished fixing the broken valves, and soon enough, JJ was able to take a shower. However, she decided to wait until the kids were asleep, knowing that Will would only follow her in.

And sure enough, she was right.

"Hi," came Will's soft voice as he snaked his arms around her waist from behind. JJ smiled, turning around to face him. Draping her arm around his neck, she looked right into his blue eyes.

"You've already had a shower today," she said softly. Will grinned.

"Yeah, but bein' the hero is hard work," he replied playfully. JJ giggled, pressing her lips to his in a deep kiss. Will immediately sought entry to her mouth with his tongue, which she happily granted. As the kiss deepened, Will lifted her up, pinning her against the wall of the shower as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She could him getting harder between her legs, which turned her on even more.

Breaking the kiss, Will began to kiss and suck the particularly bony point on her collar bone. JJ knew it would leave a mark. It was a good thing she owned plenty of T-shirts.

xxx

"JJ, how's the ASP coming along?" Morgan asked as they sat at their desks, having no more paperwork to do at that point in time.

"I haven't heard back. I applied at one of the lowest stages though, because I haven't competed as much as a lot of people have. A lot of surfers apply at that stage, so I might not even be accepted," JJ explained.

"But if you show promise and potential, they will accept you. You have plenty of potential to go far," Morgan praised. JJ smiled, leaning back in her chair.

"You really think so?" she asked playfully. Morgan grinned, throwing a balled up piece of paper at her.

"Now you're just fishing for compliments," he laughed. JJ laughed as well, standing up and walking over to the kitchenette to make a coffee.

**A/N: No chapter, because I have other plans. I apologise for update slowness!**

**Let me know what you think of the new cover?**

**SQ215 xxx**


End file.
